Chiswick House Reveals More Details of Creative Campus

Planning permission being sought for Cedar Yards centre within the gardens

A visualisation of the planned Learning Hub. Picture: Chiswick House & Gardens Trust

March 4, 2024

Chiswick House & Gardens Trust has revealed the designs for the redevelopment of an underused area behind the conservatory.

It proposes to build a new Learning Hub, volunteer facilities & artists’ studios and turn an unused and overgrown 17th century walled garden into a fruit garden.

The Cedar Yards Community & Creative Campus will be ‘developed with local people to tell the story of our changing climate’ and it is hoped will generate a new source of income for the Trust as well as enable an increase in volunteering and community activity. The Trust says it worked with over 50 community groups last year to support nature-based learning and wellbeing for over 2,300 local people and the new facilities will enable it to significantly expand these activities.

It aims to create and sustain creative employment and support local entrepreneurship by providing affordable workspaces. Income will also be generated by a programme for schools and new spaces for community hire.

The scheme forms a key part of the Trust’s ten-year strategy to secure its viability through to 2032.

A planning application (P/2024/0595) has been submitted to Hounslow Council following a series of consultation events. The Trust says it hopes to secure planning permission by early summer.

It was recently granted extra funding for the project from money raised by Hounslow Council through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to supplement money given by the Mayor of London. The Trust says a third of the total project cost, which is expected to be between £5.2million and £6million, has already been raised.

Aerial view of the campus plan. Picture: Chiswick House & Gardens Trust

Cedar Yards, if approved, would consist of four key elements. A ‘carbon-positive’ Learning Hub will host horticultural and creative learning activities with a capacity for over 7,000 participants a year. This will include office and social space for staff, gardeners, and volunteers. An external spill out space will bring historic horticultural working areas back into use as a new outdoor learning and activity space.

There will be a Volunteer Base will provide a practical amenity space to support over 200 volunteers, who play a crucial role in maintaining the House and Gardens.

A visualisation of the Volunteer Base at Cedars Yard. Picture: Chiswick House & Gardens Trust

The Fruit Garden will transform a currently unused and overgrown late 17th century ‘secret’ walled garden to provide a new garden for local groups, schools, and families to participate in horticulture-themed activities throughout the year. A wall around the Fruit Garden will be reinstated and new planting will increase biodiversity, whilst referencing its historic use.

A visualisation of the Learning Yard at Cedars Yard. Picture: Chiswick House & Gardens Trust

The currently underused historic back sheds and stables to create ‘affordable’ workspaces for up to 100 artists and makers.

Natural materials will be used for the new Learning Hub and Volunteer facilities with solar panels to generate energy all contributing to achieving the net zero carbon goal.

The Trust says designs for the new facilities respond with sensitivity to the historic context of the birthplace of the English Landscape movement, providing new access routes and outdoor spaces whilst adopting sustainable materials and construction techniques.

The Conservatory, which is currently closed due to safety concerns, is not part of this project. The Trust says that it is collaborating with the London Borough of Hounslow, the owners of the Conservatory, to develop a partnership initiative to preserve this iconic building.

Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, said, “We are excited to be re-working ‘back of house’ areas to fulfil local needs and bringing these historic spaces back to life. This ambitious project has been designed to directly impact the wellbeing of our local community as well as enhancing cultural and creative enterprise activity in London Borough of Hounslow. By creating more public green spaces for local people we can expand our learning and community programme which is currently running at capacity. With the introduction of affordable workspaces for artists and makers we will foster a local creative economy and generate much needed new income for the Trust.

“I want to personally thank all the funders whose generous support has enabled us to reach this pivotal moment: London Borough of Hounslow through the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy and Thriving Communities Funds, GLA Creative Enterprise Zone and S106 funding, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Linbury Trust, the Foyle Foundation and the Architectural Heritage Fund. As a charity we rely on financial support from these sources, alongside ongoing support from our local community of Members and Patrons. Our regular visitors will be able to get involved in the next chapter of this exciting project when we launch our fundraising campaign later in the year.”

Taz Virdee, Chief Executive of C-Change West London and Director at Elevate Community Productions said, "Chiswick House and Gardens' remarkable outreach efforts have touched lives across our borough, bridging gaps and enhancing diversity. Local partnerships with community groups, schools and charities create inspiring spaces that nurture connections to greenery and heritage, elevating wellbeing and combating isolation. The new facilities of the Cedar Yards development will bring even greater benefits to our residents from Heston and Cranford, particularly the enhanced facilities for disabled and elderly participants. Special recognition to Harvinder Bahra for her exceptional support in uniting communities, with gratitude for the funding that made this possible. Thank you and we look forward to continuing working together."