Parks & Open Spaces Newsletter – December 2007

It has been rather an eventful year weather wise has it not!  The parks in Evesham suffered under the floods but despite this set back we have still managed to move forward with projects and improvements

Firstly just a quick reminder on who we are: -  

There are just three client services staff who work in this area of specialism, Parks Officer Lynn Stevens and two parks monitoring assistants, Jayne O’ Connor and Alexandra [Alex] Morris.  In broad terms the Parks Officer is responsible for management plans, improvement plans, projects and the overseeing of the contracts as a whole and the monitoring assistants look after the day to day contracts work and general repairs and maintenance. Wychavon do not have any direct labour force, all our maintenance work is done by contractors.  The main contractor doing all the grass cutting, litter picking, shrubs etc is Fountains Support Services.  Smart Cut Ltd maintain the town verges and many of our other open spaces. Other specialist contractors are used as necessary on trees and landscaping work.  ECP carry out the dog-waste bin emptying work.

Evesham

The Floods

Abbey Park was successful in gaining Green Flag Award again this year for the third time.  Workman Gardens gained Green Flag for the first time.  The judges came along in May and we showed them pictures of the floods in March and of course they could see how we had managed to clean up after wards.  Ironically we heard in early July that we had gained the award and were due to go and get the flag when the July floods overtook the towns.  This time as everyone knows it was much worse.  We managed to keep Abbey Park open and cleaned up within 10 days.  Workman Gardens took longer with broken lights and debris from caravans and boats etc but the gardens were open again within three weeks with most of the repairs also having been achieved.

We have lost quite a large number of shrubs and these will be replanted in January 2008 with funding from the Evesham Market Towns Partnership for which we are very grateful.

Charity Brook Park.

This site formerly known at Davies Road open space has been upgraded to a Park this year.  With funding from both ourselves and the Big Lottery we were able to construct new play areas for both toddlers and older children, an adventure cycle track, climbing rocks and new circular pathways.  A local mother who contacted Cllr Andy Dyke originally in 2005 highlighted the need for play facilities here.  Cllr Dyke raised the issue at council seeking finances and in due course after public consultation the project commenced in 2007.  Work was held up by the floods in July which took contractors off site to clear up along the river but most of the work was achieved by mid September.

The official opening took place on a rare sunny day in later September when the Charity Crescent residents association who have been very supportive of the project, also held a fete in the park which was well attended by local people.

Droitwich Spa

Lido Park

Summer 2007 saw the reopening of the Lido pool after 6 years of closure.  Along with the newly refurbished brine swimming pool is an exciting water play area with interactive features for the children to enjoy.

There is a new café open to the park users as well as those people in the Lido.  The park has been relandscaped at this café area to provide attractive planting, picnic tables and new pathway routes and surfacing.  

The double trunked pine next to the picnic tables has unfortunately had to be felled this month due to disease but we have arranged for it to be carved in situ to create an attractive piece of artwork.  This work will be carried out in January/February 2008 and will involve local school children in the design stage of the project .

The area of tangled trees, old wood and debris has been cleared from the entrance by the lodge and the ground graded and seeded.  In January 2008 a collection of Hollies and other shrubs will be planted along the fence line.

The surrounds to the bowling club have also been cleared of old vegetation and debris and new boundary fencing installed.  Ivies and other ground cover will be planted on the banks in January 2008.

The combination of work has complimented the Lido pool reopening and now the park and the pool are worthy of repeat visits.  Lets hope for a more cheerful summer next year to encourage the swimming.

Two new items of playground equipment, a net climber and spinning teacup have been purchased and installed to replace the old wooded animals.

Vines Park

Everyone who knows this park will not have failed to see the Wych Barge structure.

This project has been run by British Waterways and the Waterways Trust and was carried out with peoples millions funding.  Peter Luff MP officially opened it in April.  Unfortunately it had to be closed straight afterwards, as the tables and some of the other features were not constructed to specification and need to be redone.  Work on this has been delayed to date by a dispute over workmanship standards and responsibilities.  However some legal hurdles have now been passed and remedial work is due to commence early in the New Year.

Hadzor Open Space

After much complicated work by our legal department the open space was eventually handed over by the developers and we were able to fence off the boundary, carry out necessary Health and Safety work to the trees and create a new entrance with gates, access surfacing and bins.  This is a lovely tranquil open space set between the older village and the new houses near Hadzor Hall.

Pershore

Abbey Park

A beautiful piece of sculpture has been created by artist Tom Harvey and is titled “Leafing through History”.

Making good use of an otherwise sad event, the loss of a mature Beech tree, it depicts the connection between Abbey and the Park through the times.  Children from two local schools were involved with the design work on the project and made their own clay models, which were exhibited, in the Abbey.

Funding for the project came from sponsorship “Art in the Park” from our maintenance contractors Fountains and the Pershore Market Towns Partnership.

In addition to the carving four interpretation panels were installed in the park around the Abbey which tell the history of the Abbey, the Town and the Park.

A new wrought iron gate made by local ironworker SE Cooper was commissioned for the main entrance to the park at the Octagon.  It looks good and is much more practical to open than the old bollards, which were there previously.

Finally...

I hope this has given you a flavour of the kind of work we carry out.  We do try within budget limits to put into action any good practical suggestions for improvements.  If you have any suggestions or comments on any of Wychavon’s Parks or Open Space please do contact us, details are on the website.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Lynn Stevens
Parks Officer
Wychavon District Council.

Alternatively you can download this newsletter  (856.84 KB).

Further information

For further information please call 01386 565018 (9am-5pm Monday - Friday) or email client.services@wychavon.gov.uk