A MINI park was created on a patch of land in a busy residential area.

Councillors joined residents at the “pop-up parklet” – a temporary mini outdoor space with chairs, cushions, a rug and decorations.

Residents in the Hanover and Elm Grove area of Brighton sketched suggestions as to what they would like to see there and ideas included a vegetable garden, an outdoor gymnasium and a performance space.

The parklet, at the back of Lewes Street, was created by laying out a large piece of AstroTurf, borrowed from the nearby Hanover Community Association.

Councillor Elaine Hills, who organised the event and convenes the Hanover Liveable Neighbourhood group, said: “It was a lovely way for people to get together to design and enjoy an outdoor space. There’s a limited amount of green and outdoor communal space in Hanover and Elm Grove, so we need to use our space more imaginatively rather than setting so much of it aside car storage.

“Parklets are an ideal way to increase the number of welcoming outdoor spaces at which neighbours can gather.

“And with people being less able to gather indoors due to Covid-19 restrictions, we need to look for more ways in which we can socialise safely. I helped carry out a survey of people in our ward doing lockdown and found a worryingly high level of respondents – 89 per cent - thought Covid measures had affected their mental health in some way.

“Parklets could reduce the risk of social isolation and of developing mental health problems.”

Cllr Hills added: ““The group has a lot of flair and tenacity, and we’re planning further pop-up parklets in other locations in the ward, with more flowers and greenery - and hopefully even music too.”

Cllr Hills said there were opportunities to look at how businesses and residents throughout the city can repurpose kerbside and under-used outdoor space as parklets.

Green councillors now want to explore how parklets can be included in the Hanover “Liveable Neighbourhood” scheme, the first pilot low traffic neighbourhood initiative designed to curb residential traffic to be given the go-ahead by the city council.