Parks For People
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East MidlandsApproved:
Newark, Sconce and Devon Park, Newark and Sherwood District Council Contact Name: Phil Beard Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 01636 655714 The Sconce and Devon Park is aimed at engaging a range of audiences to the park, from local people (families, children & young people, older people), those from disadvantaged backgrounds (one of the most deprived wards in the district is located within close walking distance of the park) and tourists (through links with other heritage tourism attractions in the area). This will be facilitated by the employment of a full-time site-based park ranger, a role which will be vital to attracting a higher quantity and variation of visitors through offering a wider range of opportunities and improving maintenance standards. The project includes a range of both capital and revenue based improvements which will: enhance the appearance and accessibility of the park; encourage and involve more users; conserve and improve an internationally important heritage feature; provide educational, training, volunteering and employment opportunities; and improve the standards of management and maintenance. The following capital works are also planned, improvements to footpaths and facilities to enhance access, a new park management building including public toilets, a cafe/kiosk facility, office and interpretation/display area, improvements to make the Queen's Sconce more accessible, better managed and to ensure that visitors are aware of its importance, habitat and landscape improvements, a new children's play area and a range of signage and interpretation to enable people to appreciate the various features within the park. Furthermore, the project will also include enhanced activities within the park through volunteering and training opportunities, attracting new audiences and an events and educational programme. There had been a slight delay to the projects start due to time issues regarding tendering. Some concern had been voiced relating to the Projects proposal for a new bridge but, these concerns had now been amended and the Project is deemed to be on track with work commencing in May. Quorn, Stafford Orchard, Quorndon Parish Council Contact Name: Ivan Bexon Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 01509 413673 The primary objective of the Stafford Orchard Project is to revitalise and sustain a faded and underused public park in the heart of Quorn through conserving and enhancing its Heritage and by acting as a focus for community led outdoor activities and events. Being a community driven project, driven by enthusiastic volunteers and planned in consultation with local people, the project wishes to contribute toward the wider issues of community safety, health improvement and social exclusion. Improvements such as enhancing biodiversity and habitat (particularly in the brook area) will look to provide a sensory garden and peaceful area (plant new tree and shrub areas this will also include the adoption of organic horticulture and sustainable practices and policies. Other improvements will include the provision of new soft and hard recreational spaces, a children's playground and outdoor classroom, youth facilities, performance area, waterside picnic and family area by Buddon Brook. The project also aims to re-untie the Stafford Lands in the conservation area, provide information and interpretation of the history, heritage and archaeology of the park and its environs and restore a listed lodge at the main entrance. It is envisaged that through a combination of organising programmes in the park to include brass bands, outdoor theatre, concerts, fetes and carnivals etc and making improvements to provide better public amenities, that audience diversity and quantity will increase. Subsequently, the proposal wishes to involve and train volunteers in all aspects of the park's management, maintenance and development which will help the project provide the appropriate facilities for local residents and surrounding rural settlements. Spinney Hill Park, Leicester, Leicester City Council Contact Name: Geoff Mason Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 0116 2914485 The overall aims of the project are to restore and rejuvenate the park and to provide upgraded or new facilities in line with the expressed need of the local community. Identified heritage features such as the original path layout, railings, gates and the granite drinking fountain will be restored. Work will be carried out to buildings within the park to provide new and increased usages and facilities such as play areas will be improved and capacity increased. Horticultural work will be carried out to provide greater interest and help to link back to identifiable historic planting schemes, with work to be carried out to existing tree stock and new planting will be carried out to maintain the original avenues of trees, and to generally improve the age structure within the trees in the park. Increased levels of maintenance and monitoring will help to sustain the improvements provided as part of the capital investment. The project will also provide for staff to be based on the park. The staff will provide a visible presence on the park, undertake outreach activities with the local community to encourage more people to visit the park, organise and facilitate the organisation of events and to liaise with park stakeholders such as the Friends of Group. The project will provide a vehicle for increased volunteer and training activities on the park. Stage 1 passNottingham Forest, Recreation Ground, Nottingham City Council Contact Names: James Dymond Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 0115 915 2725 By 2015 the vision of the project is that The Forest will be restored so that people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities will visit and feel welcome. It aims to offer a wide choice of high quality facilities and a vibrant programme of events and activities to enjoy. They want local people to feel proud of the project and bestow a sense of wellbeing on visitors. The project intends to capitalise on a number of existing key strengths such as wide open space that lends itself to sports and big events, and woodland slopes that offer shelter, tranquillity and unspoilt natural landscape for relaxing. Existing and new audiences can expect to be treated to activities for all ages and abilities, a place to get fit and healthy, meet new people, and above all a safe and clean place to have fun and relax with all the necessary facilities such as toilets and refreshments. The main focus of work on the project will be on the following areas, developing main gateways to create a sense of arrival, restoring the Lodge as a heritage asset and bringing it back into productive use, upgrading the refreshment facilities, pathways, lighting and other amenities, new play facilities, providing positive ways for young people to use and engage with the park and implementing a ranger service. Whaley Bridge Memorial Park, High Peak Borough Council Contact Name: Christine Latham Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 0845 1297777 ext 2255 The project seeks to reinforce the local heritage of the Memorial Park and recognise its historic value as a commemoration to the men from the local community who fought and lost their lives in two World Wars. The scheme will involve a list of improvements which will include the restoration of the War Memorial area to recreate the theme of its original layout of the late 1920s, the enhancement of a place to reflect on the futilities of war, and a range of landscaping works which will enhance and preserve the ecological and natural environment within the park. The project will endeavour to manage existing habitats in the park as well as create new ones with the restoration of native flora and an increase in landscaping to improve appearance. Working with the community and our partners (in particular the Whaley Bridge Associations, Whaley Bridge Amenity Society, the Town Council, Whaley Bridge Football Club, Friends of Memorial Park, and British Waterways) the project will encourage participation in a range of events and activities which will lend themselves sympathetically to the original intended use of the park. Improving the infrastructure of the park is of utmost importance such as the provision of ramped access and resurfaced paths as well repairs and replacements to features such as bridges, railings and park furniture. Further improvements to drainage systems will also allow increased usage of the main riverside area and the creation of a new play area will give a safe place for children to play The appointment of a new ranger/gardener will allow enhanced maintenance, outreach activities to local organisations and will provide volunteer opportunities and training. All this will enable more scope for a variety of activities and events within the park. |
