New composting facility nears completion

In 2013 Lambeth Council installed some raised beds next to the café by the Clapham Common Bandstand, now Pear Tree, and the community gardening group, Bandstand Beds Association (BBA), was formed. 

With support from Lambeth Council, successful fundraising and money raised from the levy on events on Clapham Common, Bandstand Beds has created a thriving community garden on the former ‘dump’ next to Windmill Drive.

Since it began BBA has shared an ambition with Lambeth Council to build a composting facility on the site adjacent to the community garden, and earlier this year the group secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to do this.

In August, Lambeth Council levelled the ground ready for The Conservation Volunteers Lambeth to begin work on the project, which is now almost complete.

Compost produced in the bays will be used to enhance the soil at the Bandstand Beds growing spaces on the Common and made available to local community gardens.

The bays will also be used for composting workshops. The first of these is on Saturday 9 October – click on link for information. 

In parallel the remainder of the area is being relandscaped with new hedges and shrubs and will remain a haven for wildlife, improving the biodiversity of Clapham Common. A family of foxes has already set up home on the site.

Bandstand Beds is one of three permanent member groups of the Clapham Common MAC (CCMAC) along with the Clapham Society and Friends of Clapham Common.