…and putting up a parking lot. Don't think '70s folksy protest song', think 'prescient 70s folksy protest song that's threatening to become a reality in central London' (if the Vice-Chair of the London Assembly Brian Coleman gets his way). Just as the newly restored park at Potters Fields (on the south bank of the Thames in the shadow of Tower Bridge) is due to be re-opened, Mr Coleman has said “‘I think a multi-storey car park [on the site] would be an excellent idea.”

 

Has this man ever walked along the South Bank? The area is really coming into its own as a lovely (if often crowded) destination for Londoners and tourists alike. We love it – it's a lively, vibrant part of the cityscape now. Maybe you think 'paradise' is stretching it, but reserve judgment until you've seen the park's £2.7 million redesign, part of the Mayor's 100 Public Spaces programme. To suggest that some of the only green space along the central London riverside be paved and privatised is astonishing. The South Bank is easily accessible by tube and bus (and taxis, big but usually black instead of yellow), so why encourage more people to drive into the area? And why waste a gorgeous riverside location on a car park for 1000 cars? It's the same philosophy that has pedestrians climbing down into tunnels under the Elephant & Castle while the cars whizz by overhead. Put the cars underground and let the pedestrians get some fresh air, I say. Let's hope that's part of the regeneration plan. Of course an underground car park on the Potters Fields site would be under threat of flooding, so that's not an option. Insisting visitors use public transport is.

 

Luckily, a few politicians are standing up to Mr Coleman. “London needs more green spaces, not [fewer]," says Ken Livingstone. "The London Assembly's Vice-Chair has got it so wrong... Most Londoners want London government to take the environment seriously, but Brian Coleman is out of step with this green agenda.” Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron and Simon Hughes (MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey) have also criticised Mr Coleman’s comments.

 

Maybe if the plans progress further, someone could persuade Ms Mitchell to do a 'Sunday in the Park with Joni' benefit concert. In the meantime, check out the park's three-day re-opening festival from 17-19 May. Then register your views by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Or simply buy your tickets now for the tree museum. "You don't know what you've got till it's gone."