I first discovered this oasis in the city thanks to the Stik mural that I had seen online and spied one day as I was walking down Shaftesbury Avenue. It’s since because my place of peace and solitude when the crowds of the surrounding area become too much. I’ve introduced friends and family to it, and always get the same positive reaction – it’s not what you expect to find tucked away in the west end, a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden, Soho and Oxford Street.

You may recognise it as one of the locations in Last Christmas, the 2019 romcom starring Emilia Clarke. In fact last time I was there the entrance had comments about George Michael, suggesting this has been added to the tourist trail, and I saw numerous George and Wham! fans exploring the gardens to find the bench where the characters sat.

I went by today and once again it provided a perfect moment of tranquility after a wander through Soho with the olds. The garden looked and smelled beautiful. Sadly the Stik mural is starting to look a little faded and was slightly hidden by scaffolding from some work on the building it adorns.

It appears that the community garden, that was established in 1984 after being built on a former car park, is under threat from redevelopment plans of the nearby Odeon cinema. A request to double the height of the building to convert it into a hotel is currently being considered by the council, which the garden suggests will substantially limit the light that the garden gets, thereby impacting on the natural habitat for the plants and animals that thrive in the garden.

It is often commented that London isn’t a very green city which isn’t true. It became the world’s first National Park City in 2019 and work continues to reconnected Londoners with nature and ensure that the urban nature thrives. There are many parks and green spaces all over the city, but places like the Phoenix Garden are limited, especially in the central areas. They should be protected at all costs.

Here’s hoping the council sees sense and rejects the development plans. Is another hotel really what the area needs?!