NEW SENSORY GARDEN AND CAFE TERRACE AT HOLMEBROOK VALLEY PARK

The sensory garden at Holmebrook Valley Park is in need of renewal and is really in the wrong place since the construction of the new play area. The terracing on the side of the pavilion by the café is also in need of upgrading to make it more welcoming and practical.

The Friends of Holmebrook Valley Park, working in partnership with the Borough Council, planned an ambitious project. This is near the Pavilion and was to create a safe walkway from the play area to the café avoiding the busy car park. A new larger sensory garden, with better wheelchair and mobility scooter access, was to be incorporated into this walkway. The walkway was to have small trees and colourful planting leading to an enlarged terraced area at the side of the pavilion by the café allowing for better disabled access and more user friendly tables. It was proposed that the terrace would have a windbreak and seating to extend around the east side of the cafe where it is more sheltered.

Unfortunately we haven’t been able to secure the £75000 needed to complete this project.

We did obtain £8000 from the Tesco ‘bags for life’ initiative. So we are now planning a more modest project. We are to remove the old Sensory Garden and replace it with seating and some small raised beds for planting. The outside Terrace area at the café to have new furniture and the existing flagstone to be pressure sprayed. The large retaining wall to be cleaned and painted..

Work to remove the old Sensory Garden and clear the site started on 20th February 2017 and has now been completed. The Contractors started work on the new garden on 27th April 2017. The work was completed on 31st July 2017.