Wetland and Pump Track

The contractors are nearly ready to move onto the next space in their plan, which will be to adapt the old woodland play area into a new Wetland space.

The old woodland play area was well-loved but the damp ground wasn’t suitable for the wooden elements of equipment such as the spinning disc and the zip-wire, so these have been removed piece by piece over the last couple of years. Creating more diverse space for nature within the park was high on resident feedback during consultation stages. This new wetland is intended to be seasonal, providing a great new habitat for numerous species in the park. An island in the centre of the water will remain, hosting the more mature trees that are already established there. A timber viewing platform and a zig-zag walkway will be installed over the surface of the water, and a new seating and picnic space created just to the North, to offer people the opportunity to better experience this new environment.

The contractors have been down to the site finishing clearance work with Aspire, fencing the space, and expect to bring in their bigger pieces of equipment this week to begin excavations. A new path will cut straight through the woodland, along the edge of the wetland, linking up the new bridge from the Victoria Road flats to the main path up towards the Sensory Garden and Café. The Conservation Volunteers have already laid down woodland walkways that will ultimately link up to this new path across a number of new bridges. Work should be completed in time for the higher rainfall we normally expect in autumn and winter.

During this period the graffiti wall will be inaccessible. Please check back for updates on the location of the new wall which will be in the vicinity of the pump track.

There has been a small delay in the planning process for the new pump track. The pump track is a solid surface bike track for tricks and practise. It will be built in the open grass space where the old zip wire used to be situated. We are still committed to delivering this fantastic asset, supported by British Cycling, and will keep you informed on the start date for construction.