Sir Sadiq Khan led the ceremony on July 9 to inaugurate the new Springfield Park, which is situated in Wandsworth’s Springfield Village.
The park boasts a café, play areas, an amphitheatre, ponds, and hundreds of trees.
It is co-located with Springfield University Hospital and is an integral part of this new community.
Springfield Park opens as part of mental health-focused urban village project (Image: South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust) Sir Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted to join the local community and pupils from my old primary school to open this incredible new park, which is the largest to be created in London since the 2012 Olympics.
“Springfield Park is a great new facility and a key part of the transformation at Springfield Hospital that is providing much-needed affordable homes and green spaces for local people.
“Access to nature and secure, affordable housing are vital foundations for good physical and mental health, helping Londoners to live well and enabling our communities to thrive.”
She said: “This is a huge moment for our trust, our patients, staff, the Springfield Village partners, and our whole community here.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped to create this unique parkland and our vibrant, inclusive new village.
“By opening up our hospital to the community in this way, we take another huge step in breaking down barriers, supporting access, and breaking mental health stigma.”
The event also saw the launch of the Springfield Park Community Fund, a small grants programme to support local group projects that promote wellbeing and connection.
The mayor was joined by pupils from Fircroft Primary School to plant the park’s 700th tree and unveil a commemorative plaque.
This event marks a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the 92-acre Springfield University Hospital estate, a project with a £150 million investment.
The Victorian-era estate has been transformed into state-of-the-art mental health hospitals and more than 1,200 homes, a third of which are affordable.
This transformation is part of the NHS’s Better Communities Programme, which aims to invest more than £1 billion in mental healthcare and urban development in South West London by 2028.
Springfield Village has been created over the past four years, converting derelict NHS land for residential and community use.
The park has been designed to support the health and wellbeing of residents, patients, and NHS staff, while boosting local biodiversity.
The redevelopment has also created new facilities and amenities to support the village community.
These include a public square, shops, cafés, a gym, and a new care home, as well as new bus routes for improved accessibility.
Harriet Gladwell-Phillips, project lead for STEP, a joint venture between Sir Robert McAlpine Capital Venture and Kajima Partnerships Ltd, and the trust’s development partner, said: “Springfield Park is a shining example of what can be achieved when healthcare, community, and nature come together.
“We are proud to have supported South West London and St George’s and the London Borough of Wandsworth in creating a park that not only enhances mental health and wellbeing but also enriches the local neighbourhood.”
The park is now open to the public.
