Parks For People
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South EastApproved
Whitstable, Whitstable Castle Park, Canterbury City Council Contact Name: Anthony Dance Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 01227 862 488 Being Whitstable's only public park, the project is designed at providing a place where people are able to engage with others in educational, cultural and recreational activities in the historic setting of Whitstable. The aim of the project is to improve the quality and offer of the buildings and gardens, providing opportunity for a wider range of usage to give people new reasons for visiting and making the whole site a vital hub of community life. Some of the projects proposals involve making improvements to enable safe connections between the various green spaces, providing comprehensive restoration of the parks green spaces and targeting building work aimed at securing the re-use of key buildings and the main castle for improved community usage. Investment within the park will focus upon a variety of projects namely, the restoration of part of the gardens to a Regency style; the relocation of the Pre-School group from the top floor of the Castle to the converted bungalow; the re-ordering of parking provision; the creation of a new larger formal rose garden able to accommodate events; the creation of a larger west terrace and lower lawn glades able to host theatrical and musical performances; a plant propagation and sales area; refurbishment of the public toilets; the creation of a new toddlers play garden; and, the restoration of the castle to provide ease of access for all together with exhibition space, community space, a tea room/cafe and a multi-purpose garden room (the 'Orangery') to replace a poor 1960s flat-roofed extension. St James' Park, Southampton, Southampton City Council Contact Name: Helen Mills Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 02380832873 The primary purpose of the project is to restore and enhance St James' Park for the 21st century, enhancing its heritage value, retaining the overall layout and making use of the existing building, promoting its heritage features. The building, a former air raid warden shelter, will be refurbished to provide a café, community rooms, ranger base and toilets. The project will greatly improve the provision of formal and informal play, designed by local children and providing features for all ages. An area for older play will be added, with a multi use play wall, adjacent to the tennis courts that will be fully refurbished. Access will be improved through two new entrances and refurbishment of others. These will not only make the park more welcoming but also create stronger visual links to the surrounding features such as the listed St James Church. Biodiversity will be enhanced through a botanical walk and a scenic walk that will also restore historical vantage points into the park. The project will reverse the decline of the park's physical infrastructure and ensure the park is an asset to the whole community, involving them in every stage and appealing to as wide an audience as possible. Herschel Park, Slough, Slough Borough Council Contact Name: Bruce Hicks Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 01753 875514 This project aims to increase both the number and diversity of its audience by restoring and preserving the historic character of the 18th century park and enhancing the nature conservation value of the adjoining extension whilst maximising amenity value for all current and future users. South Hill Park, Bracknell, Bracknell Forest Borough Council Contact Name: Richard Scrivener Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 01344 354 130 The South Hill Park Parks for People project has the vision to revitalise the Park as a thriving, vibrant, varied open space which builds on the special qualities of its historic landscape, its natural beauty and its arts activities, as a safe and attractive oasis in Bracknell town which benefits the whole community. Objectives and associated actions include making the park welcoming and attractive to people of all ages and backgrounds; reducing conflict between different user groups; making it accessible regardless of physical ability; increasing understanding and enjoyment; making more people aware of the park; making it a safe place; managing it as a resource for both the local community and Bracknell as a whole; and increasing arts-related activity and involvement in the park. Stage 1 passMote Park, Maidstone, Maidstone Borough Council Contact Name: Lewis Small Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contact Number: 01622 602 151 Mote Park is a place-shaping feature for Maidstone and pivotal in the ambitious plans to develop the town's true potential. The project proposes to raise awareness of the park and of what it has to offer, while at the same time extending the footpaths and cycle paths to improve accessibility for people of all fitness levels. A new lake crossing will replace the deteriorating causeway, and the cafeteria-lake link will be enhanced with a viewing terrace and a wheelchair accessible footpath. Two new sub-centres with play areas and toilets will make the park more accessible to residents of the densely built-up areas around the park. The park is to act as a focus for those who live and work in Maidstone, engendering pride and ownership. An Audience Development Officer will encourage greater community participation through a rich programme of events and activities - particularly aimed at hard to reach communities. The original features of the park will be restored, creating a legacy for our children, such as the early 19th century waterfall and its header pond and the lost parkland vistas. 400 new trees will replace the post-war losses. Improvement of the park's natural habitats would guarantee the park fulfils its potential as the green lung of Maidstone and a hub in the network of green corridors, giving the community many and varied opportunities for contact with nature. This will be achieved through sympathetic clearance, replanting and appropriate vegetation management. |
