Public ownership of the land which was developed as Boston’s Central Park will be 100 years old in 2019 and plans are being hatched for some major improvements to mark its centenary.
Some have already begun, such as the new art deco-inspired arched garden area.
Cllr Claire Rylott, Boston Borough Council’s Cabinet member for parks and open spaces, said: “For almost 100 years Central Park has been a peaceful green oasis in the middle of a bustling market town. People down the generations have loved Central Park, and it has accommodated all their leisure and recreational uses. I thought the centenary could not be allowed to pass without us taking a fresh look at the park and preparing it for another 100 years of community use. We have made a start with the new art deco garden. This had been an area of uncertainty for some time and I pushed for a statement piece in this important area close to a main access to the park.”
A bid for funding to support further improvements has been made to the Heritage Lottery Fund, to build on recent enhancements to the Tawney Street entrance.
Cllr Rylott is encouraging the public to come along to give their views at the family beach event in Central Park on Thursday and Friday, August 3 and 4.
She added: “Central Park is a fantastic asset for the town, but I believe it still has huge untapped potential as a facility for both residents and visitors to enjoy. That’s why we would like to hear people’s views at the beach events.
“We have received very positive comments about the new birch avenue, the refurbished community garden and, in particular, the art deco-style garden. With the centenary of the Corporation’s purchase of the Central Park site coming up in 2019 I feel that it is the ideal time to galvanise interest and hopefully secure funding from external sources and private sponsors.”
The bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund will be to finance historical research, survey work, public consultation and development of a master plan. The aim would be to refurbish the park in a way which is sympathetic to its inter-war history and architectural style and the wider townscape setting.
The council is seeking any historic information or archive photographs of Central Park. Please forward these to Ian Farmer at ian.farmer@boston.gov.uk or call him on 01205 314225.