- Area:
- North West England
- Programme:
- Parks for People
- Release date:
- 15 4 2009
As spring finally arrives, two parks in the North West of England are on track for major transformations thanks to Lottery funding announced today. Southport Kings Gardens has been awarded £240,000 and The Green at Silloth-on-Solway has been awarded £106,000 to back their exciting regeneration plans.
The go-ahead for Sefton Borough Council and Silloth-on-Solway Town Council to kick-start their schemes has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund’s ‘Parks for People’ initiative*.
Head of HLF in the North West, Sara Hilton, said: “Today’s news is a green light to develop exciting plans for two of the region’s much-loved parks that play a key role in modern day life.”
“Parks for People marries people’s pride in the history of their parks with the need to provide up-to-date facilities and access. It has been a tremendous success across the UK in encouraging many thousands more people back through their park gates. We are delighted to be able to invest in these North West parks today; spring is in the air and with it comes a new optimism for these special places.”
Helen Bullough, Big Lottery Fund Head of the North West region added: “The Big Lottery Fund is pleased to be part of the renaissance of our public parks. Today’s funding is a tremendous starting point for plans to transform King’s Gardens and The Green into community spaces that can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.”
King’s Gardens
King’s Gardens in Southport were laid out in 3 phases between 1887 and the 1930’s and accommodates Promenade Gardens, Sunken Gardens and Sea Bathing Lake. The Lake was designed to replace the ‘true’ sea, which by then had retreated from the Southport shore.
Today the Grade II listed Gardens are on the Register of Parks and Gardens and a number of built structures, including cast iron shelters, are listed Grade II in their own right. However, time as has taken its toll on the much loved green space and Sefton Borough Council plan to undertake an £8million regeneration of the area as part of the wider plans to regenerate the waterfront in Southport.
Proposals include works to protect and restore the historic features of the gardens, such as the site’s considerable concentration of original built infrastructure. Project plans also include schemes to update modern day facilities for visitors, as well as ways to create opportunities for people from the local community to get involved in caring for the green oasis.
Sefton Council, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, Cllr Lord Ronnie Fearn, said: "The announcement that we have been asked to move through to stage two of the bidding process is very encouraging. We will now continue to develop plans with the aspiration of bringing Kings Gardens back to their former glory.
"We are committed to enhancing Southport's public spaces while recognising the important heritage we benefit from in the town. This project is something we are keen to develop but it is still early days and we must remain realistic in the current economic climate.
"However, this funding is certainly a move in the right direction and we look forward to working with the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund to make the most of this opportunity."
The Green at Silloth
The Green covers approximately 45 acres of Silloth-on-Solway, a mid-19th century town created as a working port for Carlisle and as a seaside resort on the North West Cumbrian coast.
Today The Green is the only one of its type in the region and is the only recreational space in the town standing at the heart of the Victorian resort. Inextricably linked to Silloth’s unique identity, the popular green space is much -loved by the local community and is used daily by people from all walks of life. During the summer months The Green is the venue for popular events including a beer festival, a kite festival, vintage car rally, fairs and markets.
Like other seaside resorts, the fortunes of Silloth have waned in recent decades and this is reflected in the condition of The Green. However, the Lottery development grant will enable the Council to work up their plans for a major £2.5million restoration project to the site.
Plans are expected to include restoration of the historic elements of The Green including the 1850’s pagoda and 1920’s ladies toilet. The history of The Green and of the town will be brought to life in orientation panels and a nature trail with associated interpretive shelter will reveal more about the site’s wildlife.
Plans also include a new putting green and water play area, alongside the re-introduction of the performance area or ‘Happy Valley’ that was once a feature of The Green in bygone days.
The existing programme of activities and events on The Green will be developed and the local community will have the chance to get more involved in this historic part of their Town through volunteering.
Graham Wilkinson, Town Mayor, said: "On behalf of the members of Silloth Town Council along with the members of Silloth Regeneration Partnership, we wish to thank the Parks for People programme for the acceptance of our bid for the regeneration of our wonderful Victorian sea front green. The residents and visitors to our town are all behind this project which has been talked about over the past two years. We the Council and Regeneration Partnership look forward to working with HLF and BIG to see this scheme through to its final completion."
Bill Allison, Chair of Silloth Regeneration Partnership, said: "I am delighted that the hard work of the team involved in the Silloth Green Project has been recognised at national level. The high level of partnership working has now been rewarded, and we look forward to working once again with all our partners to ensure the Stage 2 bid comes to fruition.
This project has already delivered many benefits to our community through the intensive consultation process, from which ideas and suggestions have been forthcoming and welcomed from all age groups. We now see light at the end of the tunnel and major future benefits for the community of Silloth and the surrounding area as a direct result of the success of this bid. On a personal level I wish to thank all those who have been involved, for their help and support with the scheme; this truly is a massive achievement and I feel it will be proven to be the catalyst for other projects that the Silloth Regeneration Partnership are presently working on."
For further information
Samantha Goody at the Heritage Lottery Fund on 020 7591 6033
Email: samanthag@hlf.org.uk
Out of hours: 07870 581599
Helen Harch at the BIG press office on 020 7211 3707
Email: Helen.harch@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Out of hours: 07867 500 572
Notes to Editors
- The Parks for People programme has a two-stage or two-round application process. At the first stage or round, an organisation can apply for a development grant to contribute to the costs of developing the project for a second stage or round application. The full grant is only awarded if the second stage or round application is successful.
- The 13 parks awarded a Stage One Pass with development funding are:
- Cedars Park, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire (£173,000)
- Forest Recreation Ground, Nottingham (£181,500)
- Horniman Gardens, Lewisham, London (£71,500)
- Memorial Park, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire (£24,300)
- Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London (£295,500)
- The Green, Silloth-on-Solway, Cumbria (£106,000)
- Kings Gardens, Southport (£240,000)
- Telford Town Park, Shropshire (£162,000)
- Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent (£124,500)
- Brinkburn Dene's, Darlington, County Durham (£45,200)
- Duthie Park, Aberdeen (£71,500)
- Cambuslang Park, South Lanarkshire (£22,700)
- Brooke Park, Londonderry/Derry (£94,000)
The Parks for People programme uses Lottery funds to support the regeneration, conservation and increased enjoyment of public parks. The programme aims to improve the local environment and put parks firmly back at the heart of community life. In England two Lottery Funds have been working in partnership (2006-2009) to deliver a multi-million pound investment in public parks of £150million. Over the three years the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is investing up to £80million (in England only) with £70million coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the UK.
Every completed park project will be expected to achieve the annual prestigious Green Flag Award and in doing so demonstrate quality standards of care and upkeep.
HLF will continue to fund public park projects with an approved investment of some £20million each year from 2009. The next closing date for applications is 31 August 2009. See www.hlf.org.uk for details.
Parks for People programme grants range from £250,000 to £5million with two rounds of funding each year.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk
HLF has already invested more than £400million in 300 historic public parks, gardens, squares and promenades right across the UK.
Big Lottery Fund
BIG has invested more than £700million on environmental initiatives to date.
For more information, visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
BIG rolls out close to £2million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project. The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
Good Causes
Out of every pound spent on a National Lottery ticket, 28p goes directly to good causes. BIG is responsible for distributing half of the money to improve communities and the lives of people most in need. HLF distributes 16.67% of the money to heritage projects across the UK. There are 12 other organisations responsible for distributing lottery money to good causes. www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
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