Golf Course Project
Friday 26th March 2010 saw Rosie Winterton MP visit the park and see the completed Golf Course Project along with the funders of the project. She also took time out for little exercise!
Current position: The Golf Course Project is now complete and the launch event has taken place in the form of a charity run in the park on September 6th 2009 for a local cancer care charity – the Aurora Centre. 300 runners took part and medals were presented by Carolyn Hodgson (YTV). Photographs of the launch event can be seen by clicking here or the run more detail by clicking here.
Background, History and progress
The Golf Course Project: The golf course project has proved a challenge for the Friends of Sandall Park. It has long since ceased to be a golf course yet no further use had been identified. It actually formed a third of the overall park yet was unusable by most visitors for a whole variety of reasons. The challenge has been to reclaim this area for the use of all visitors to the park.
Funding: The project has been funded by the Community Spaces Programme. The Community Spaces Grant works programme is managed by Groundwork UK as an award partner to the Big Lottery Fund. Community Spaces is a part of the Big Lottery Funds Changing Spaces Initiative. The award consists of a grant of £21,621.
The problem: Because of the history of the area as a golf course, a 300 mtr stretch of the perimeter had been planted with Leylandi trees to prevent golf balls going on to the road. This actually created a closed environment where unsavoury and anti-social activities took place at will. This activity in turn prevented law abiding park users from visiting this area of the park which in turn meant that the less desirable element had a free hand to operate as they pleased. This downward spiral mean that it was almost impossible for the Friends of Sandall Park to regenerate the area without the work being ‘trashed’ and destroyed.
Action was need and indeed action has been taken in the form of this project.
The Solution: The solution to this problem was to open up the golf course area and increase the number of legitimate park users thus displacing the less desirable element.
The Plan: To achieve the displacement of the less desirable element by a series of coordinated actions, resulting in the creation of a family facility.
1. Two hundred and eighty four, 45′ Leylandi tree to be removed (Completed) ;
2. Extra entrances to be created on to the golf course area (Completed 25/08/09) ;
3. Six steel picnic benches to be installed (Completed 18/06/09) ;
4. Six litter bins to be installed (Completed 17/006/09);
5. Eight ‘dog waste bins’ to be installed (Completed 07/07/09);
6. 80m of ash pathway to be installed to assist wheelchair/pushchair access (Completed 16/06/09);
7. Four pieces of outdoor fitness equipment to be installed (Completed 4/06/09)
8. Design and site information board for fitness equipment (Completed 26/08/09);
9. 20 bird boxes installed (Completed 20/08/09);
11. 300 meadows plants to be planted on golf course (Completed 11/06/09 with the help of volunteers).
10. More plants to be planted on the golf course (Completed on 04/06/09 by pupils from Kingfisher School).
12. Substantial trees to be planted (Completed 08/03/10 – delay due to bad winter weather).
13. More bulbs to planted on golf course by Junior Rangers (Completed – October 2009).
Click picture to enlarge
The Aim: The aim of the project is to create a safe area of the park that is fully integrated into the rest of the park.
Timescales: The project was completed in the middle of August 2009 with a launch date timed to coincide with the Aurora Care to Run 5Km event on Sunday 6th September. A small amount of planting work took place during a volunteer week in October when the weather will more suitable for planting.
Due to adverse winter weather it was not possible to plant the substantial trees until March 2010. This has been carried out and the project is now completed.
