Veggie plot plan for the centre of Croydon

A green-fingered teacher plans to turn the centre of Croydon into a garden of Eden by growing enough produce to feed its residents.

Helen Clarke’s ambitious plans include reclaiming unused land outside Croydon Parish Church and planting a vegetable garden on the roof of Q-Park near Surrey Street.

The 31-year-old was inspired by an “edible map” created by doctorate student Mikey Tomkins, which shows how a 2,500sq m segment around Surrey Street could grow enough fruit and vegetables to feed its residents – and still export more than 40 tonnes of produce each year.

Miss Clarke, who lives in a flat near the historic market, has already reclaimed land outside her flat to grow tomatoes, pumpkins and herbs, and plans to turn the unused area outside the Parish Church into a communal garden for her neighbours.

She said: “I’m really keen that this is for my neighbours – I want to get to know them and have us all working together.

“It’s going to be a community thing, not just turning up and working on your own patch of allotment.

“We need to give people an opportunity to eat locally, and I’m really keen on people seeing where their food comes from.”

Mr Tomkins’s map suggested turning the roofs of Centrale shopping centre and Q-Park into market gardens producing vegetables, apples and honey, as well as planting fruit trees in open land.

He teamed up with Miss Clarke two years ago to host a three-week exhibition on the Surrey Street car park roof showing people how to grow runner beans, sweetcorn and carrots.

Miss Clarke hopes to persuade Q-Park to make the rooftop garden a permanent fixture, and plans to construct a composter in Surrey Street to stop green waste from the market going to landfill.

She said: “This could be real income generator for other projects, and the compost could go to local growers, who could grow fruit and vegetables to be sold in Surrey Street market.”

Anyone interested in getting involved with Miss Clarke’s projects can email helenkateclarke@yahoo.com, or visit her website at croydonjungle.blogspot.com.