Verulamium Park’s St Michael’s Street entrance reopened after new footpath installed
A temporary elevated footpath has been installed in a Verulamium Park flood plain to allow the reopening of its St Michael Street entrance.
The entrance was closed last year after persistent flooding at Bell Meadow, which is beside the River Ver, damaged its tarmac path.
An inspection found that parts had become slippery, eroded and a potential hazard to park users.
St Albans City and District Council, which owns the park, was advised it had no option but to close off the meadow for health and safety reasons.
Various plans to allow a reopening were considered with the task being complicated by the park’s status as a scheduled ancient monument due to its Roman past.
Any digging or disturbance to the ground requires Historic England’s permission.
A decision was taken to adopt a temporary solution and commission the building of a bespoke metal footpath.
It has now been installed allowing for the reopening of the meadow and the St Michael’s Street entrance.
The metal path is raised high enough to avoid being covered with flood water and straddles the frequently flooded sections of the tarmac path.
It is suitable for wheelchair users or baby buggies and includes passing places to allow for them to move along in both directions. A wider structure would have been prohibitively costly and require permission for digging into protected ground.
The metal path also has various safety features including rails on either side to guard against people accidentally stumbling off.
A grant of £50,000 from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund financed the project.
In the longer term, the Council will look to build a new footpath and boardwalk as part of a multi-million-pound project to improve the environment of the park around its two artificial lakes.
Amanda Foley, the Council’s Chief Executive, said:
I am delighted that the St Michael’s Street entrance has now been reopened and I know that many of our residents will be too.
Regular park users understood that we had no option but to close off the meadow which has been repeatedly flooded for reasons outside of our control. I thank them for the patience they have shown while we looked at a solution.
We were determined to find one despite the challenging financial climate we are faced with and the park’s scheduled ancient monument status.
It is likely the installed footpath will be there for a couple of years or so while we finalise and implement our plans to improve the area around the artificial lakes.
We will keep our residents informed of our progress on this ambitious project which will be transformational for the park.
Photo: the new footpath in Bell Meadow, Verulamium Park.
Media Contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.