New Clarence Park gateway
Plans for a new £120,000 gateway into historic Clarence Park in St Albans have been given the go ahead.
The design for the Hatfield Road entrance features brick walls, matching stone steps and black, galvanised steel railings.
It will replace the timber steps and zig-zag ramp that has been in place since 2003 and has now reached the end of its life.
Members of the City Neighbourhoods Committee (CNC) of St Albans City and District Council approved the scheme at a meeting on Wednesday 9 December.
The finance will come from the Committee’s own budget and without any increase in the special expenses paid by residents as part of their Council Tax for the CNC.
The project will now be included in the Committee's capital programme for final approval by the Council at its annual budget meeting next month.
Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of the Committee, said: "The Hatfield Road entrance to Clarence Park is a greatly valued facility used by many people for different reasons. It has become clear recently that the structure is in urgent need of a major overhaul.
“Instead of just repairing the current ramp again, however, Committee members have decided a complete replacement would be far better value for money.
“This has enabled a radical redesign which will be far more attractive as well as more durable. Improved access will be available for pedestrians, cyclists, mothers with buggies and wheelchair users.
“The aim of the new design is to provide an entrance that is welcoming for all local users and visitors and which will be both enhancing and practical, requiring less maintenance than the present one.
“Work on this replacement will be carried out during 2016 and in the meantime essential repairs on the existing ramp and steps will be carried out to ensure the entrance doesn't have to close for safety reasons this winter."
Members rejected an alternative concrete and rusted metalwork design for the entrance that drops down steeply from Hatfield Road, close to a railway bridge.
The next stages of the development include a ground survey as well as more detailed work on the design, structure and costs.
It is estimated that the eventual cost will be no more than £120,000.
Clarence Park was opened in 1894 and has been kept largely in its original form. It is regarded as an excellent example of a Victorian pleasure park.
It is spread over 25 acres and boasts large grassed spaces with trees, flowers and shrub beds, a children’s play area and a café. It also has a number of sports facilities and is the home of both St Albans City FC and St Albans Cricket Club.
The park has been awarded a Green Flag, recognition of high management standards, every year since 2005.
For more information about Clarence Park, see: https://www.enjoystalbans.com/listing/clarence-park/
Councillor contact:
Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of the City Neighbourhoods Committee for St Albans City and District Council.
Tel: 01727 841647. Email: Cllr.R.Donald@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City District Council
Tel: 01727 296130
E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk