Improving Queens Park, Caterham

We’re improving Queens Park in Caterham, to ensure it continues to meet the needs of residents and visitors who use it. This work forms part of our Open Space Strategy, adopted in 2021, which sets out how we will manage and improve our open spaces across the district.

Queens Park is one of the district’s largest parks, spanning approximately 10 hectares. 

In 2025, the park celebrates its 125 year anniversary since it opened. This milestone coincides with the start of significant enhancements, made possible through a successful Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) award of £1.394 million, granted in November 2023. 

The vision 

Working in partnership with Arkwood Landscape Architects, we have developed a comprehensive plan to: 

• Improve the park’s appearance. 

• Expand its community offerings. 

• Ensure accessibility for everyone. 

• Provide flood protection for nearby residents.  

This project reflects the community’s feedback, gathered from in-depth research and consultation conducted in 2022 and more recent stakeholder engagement sessions. 

What we plan to do 

The proposed improvements aim to enhance the experience for all visitors and include: 

• New accessible playground - designed for children of all ages and abilities. 

• Kiosk - a new facility for visitors to buy refreshments. 

• Accessible paths - throughout the park. 

• Study area - a dedicated space for learning and exploration. 

• Biodiversity measures - initiatives to support local wildlife and enhance the park’s natural environment. 

• Tree planting - adding to the park’s greenery and sustainability. 

• Improved entrances and signs – designed to create a welcoming entrance and help visitors discover what they can do. 

Flood alleviation measures 

Surrey County Council will oversee the implementation of the flood alleviation measures, designed by expert consultant engineers. These measures aim to protect local residents and areas downstream towards Croydon from flooding. Given the growing impacts of climate change, these interventions are crucial. The measures will be integrated thoughtfully to ensure minimal disruption to the park’s natural beauty and functionality. 

Minimising disruption 

All works, including the park improvements and flood alleviation measures, will be carried out in stages to reduce disruption and we will try to maintain access to the park, wherever possible. 

We appreciate your understanding when the works are happening. 

Next steps 

The project has advanced to the technical design stage. A planning application for the new kiosk will be submitted soon. We are enthusiastic about these improvements and look forward to the community and the wider district benefiting now and for the future. 

Stay updated 

We will share further updates as the project progresses, please sign up for our newsletters, or visit this webpage regularly.  

We value your continued interest and support.