Jubilee Gardens was laid out as a riverside park to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.

However, in the last decade the Gardens have deteriorated, largely as a result of the disruption caused by the construction of the Jubilee Line and of Hungerford Bridge.

The context in which the Gardens sit has also changed enormously since they were originally planned. There is a need to create an open space of world-class standard to serve those who live and work in Waterloo as well as visitors to the area. South Bank currently welcomes over 10 million visitors every year and this is predicted to rise significantly over the next decade.

Jubilee Gardens Steering Group

The Jubilee Gardens redevelopment  has been led by a steering group made up of local business and community interests as well as Lambeth Council. The group is co-ordinated by South Bank Employers’ Group.

The Steering Group was formed in January 2003 when the Southbank Centre, currently the leaseholder for Jubilee Gardens, agreed to work with local stakeholders to redevelop the site and to create an independent trust to manage its future.

The following organisations are represented on the steering group:

• Coin Street Community Builders
• Friends of Jubilee Gardens
• Greater London Authority
• London Borough of Lambeth
• London Development Agency
• Shell
• Shirayama Corporation
• Southbank Centre
• South Bank Employers’ Group
• The Merlin Entertainments London Eye
• Waterloo Community Development Group
• Waterloo Green Trust

The primary objective of the steering group is to develop an outstanding design for the Gardens which meets the needs of the various stakeholder groups. In 2008, members of the steering group formed the Jubilee Gardens Trust which secured charity status in August 2010. The Trust will take responsibility for the management and maintenance of the Gardens in the long-term.