Lottery funding brings restoration one step closer

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Lottery funding brings restoration one step closer

Cheltenham Borough Council has just been awarded a project planning grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund of �49,800.

The grant will be used to prepare a major bid to the HLF/Big Lottery, under the parks for people programme, to restore Pittville Park and estate to its former glory, whilst also making it suitable for the 21st century.

The work will involve preparing plans for the park, with the aim to attract more people, conserve and improve the heritage value, increase the range of activities and opportunities for local communities and to encourage and extend the range of volunteers involved.

With the closing date for bid submissions under this programme being at the end of August 2008, the project team has eleven months to complete the work.

Pittville Park was opened in 1825 and continues to be a popular green space for families, cyclists and joggers. The park is Grade II listed under the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special historic Interest, while the iconic Pump Room is a Grade one listed building.

Current facilities at the park include a boating/fishing lake, skateboarding ramps, refreshment kiosk, playground, tennis courts, band stand and aviaries which are home to a variety of birds and mammals.

Councillor Chris Ryder, cabinet member for green environment said: "This is great news as competition for Heritage Lottery funding is intense. Pittville Park is very important for the whole of the town and this grant means that we will have the skills and resources needed to put in a strong visionary bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will put Pittville Park at the heart of the surrounding communities".

Air-vice marshall professor Tony Mason, the chairman of the Friends of Pittville said: "This funding is a tremendous achievement. This is a splendid opportunity for Pittville Park and potentially could turn into something quite big, if we are then able to get more support from the Heritage Lottery Fund later on."

Posted : 20/09/2007 22:09:04

PLEASE NOTE: This story has been archived and the information contained within it may no longer be correct.


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