Plans Resubmitted for Bedford Park Memorial Garden

Area by Bath Road entrance of St. Michael and All Angels to be transformed

A visualisation of the new entrance and memorial garden from planning documents

August 14, 2026

St Michael & All Angels Church has formally resubmitted its plans to create a new memorial garden and wildlife area beside its Bath Road entrance, following last month’s procedural withdrawal of the original application. It has been confirmed that the design remains unchanged and that the scheme continues to enjoy strong support from heritage bodies and local residents.

The new submission restates the church’s intention to transform an underused patch of lawn into a peaceful memorial space centred on an octagonal seating area, engraved paving and year-round planting. The accompanying planning and design documents describe a scheme intended to enhance both the setting of the Grade II* listed church and the wider Bedford Park conservation area.

The memorial garden will sit on what the church describes as “an area of currently underused weedy lawn”. The central octagonal seating area will feature timber benches arranged around an engraved stone octagon bearing the words “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE”, accompanied by a cross and the Greek letters alpha and omega.

Planting will be used to soften the space and create a sense of enclosure, with perennial species chosen to provide interest throughout the year. Hard surfacing will be kept to a minimum: the seating area will use permeable resin-bound gravel laid on a geo-cellular base to protect nearby tree roots, while bark-chip paths will connect the memorial garden to the wildlife area.

Alongside the memorial space, the church proposes a wildlife garden designed to substantially increase the number of plant species on site. The plans include pollinator-friendly planting, shrubs and grasses to support birds, and features such as log piles and bug houses.

A key element is the removal of the mature yew tree on the south-west corner. The church argues that the yew is overly dominant, blocks light, and suppresses surrounding planting. It would be replaced with a more suitable native tree that allows for underplanting and greater biodiversity.

The resubmitted plans also include widening the main entrance path from Bath Road. The church says the current layout becomes congested after major services and does not serve disabled visitors well. The new path will reuse existing paving where possible and incorporate permeable mortar and a soakaway to prevent additional surface water runoff.

The entrance area on Bath Road as it is now

Historic England has reiterated its support for the scheme, describing it as “a much subtler and more sensitive” proposal than an earlier 2018 concept. The organisation said the current design “will not interrupt views of the church or introduce any striking contrast of materials” and confirmed it would raise no heritage objections.

The Bedford Park Society also welcomed the “general restraint” of the design and praised the inclusion of wildlife-friendly planting and the potential use of biblical plant species. While the Society raised detailed concerns about railings, bench numbers and path widening, the church says these have been addressed in the resubmission.

The original application attracted 28 supportive comments and only one objection. Planning officers recommended approval, concluding that the scheme would not harm the listed church or conservation area and that the proposed low-height fencing was appropriate.

The single objection focused on fears of antisocial behaviour and concerns about planting near the church walls. The applicant responded that bench spacing exceeds five metres, similar seating elsewhere on the site has caused no issues, and planting will be managed sensitively.

Landscape designer Jane Ashley previously told us that the withdrawal was “purely procedural” and that the church “fully expects that this scheme will go ahead”. With the application now resubmitted and heritage bodies confirming their support, the memorial and wildlife garden appears set to move forward to formal determination.