New park proposals include wild swimming and adventure trail

A small group of residents have been "co-designing" features of the upgraded park, which is set to double in size over the next decade.

Recently published designs show a 6.7km trial, which will lead from a new visitors centre at the boating lake to an improved entrance close to Barkingside Station.

Along the way, it will take visitors past a "naturalised river" and conservation area, a wild swimming lake and a new Aldborough Hall Nature Reserve, which will be home to grazing longhorn cattle.

The new land to expand the park will come from the former golf course, which closed permanently during the pandemic, and the return of land previously used as a gravel quarry.

Deputy leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Kam Rai, told the overview and scrutiny committee on March 7: "We all wanted to keep the green space…which is why we took the decision to close the golf course and now have another 136 acres to go into the country park. 

"Even through over Christmas we had the ice rink and the fair really was really popular, ultimately we really want to ensure it retains its country feel when we’re adding 200 acres to the park.

"Nobody is doing anything else like this, we’re effectively doubling the size of the country park and protecting Fairlop Waters."

Following approval by cabinet on March 8, a formal public consultation will begin on the masterplan ahead of a more detailed report on the park’s future in Autumn 2022. 

Although the council’s head of regeneration, Sharon Strutt, reassured councillors a hotel on the site was "very unlikely" last year, space has been earmarked for a wedding marquee and an overspill car park.

Ms Strutt, said the council’s park management arm, Vision, are keeping a "close eye" on numbers.

She added: “It is about having an experienced operator who understands flow and can risk assess that.

"I do understand that has to be balanced with ecology… we want to try and make that work in Fairlop Waters."