Crowe Garden Design - Bespoke Garden Design In Essex

Colchester borough council have announced ambitious plans to develop and enhance the "jewels in Colchester's heritage crown" with major lottery bids totalling £7 million being made.

 

A restoration and development plan specifically for the Castle Park highlights the estimated costs for principal items totalling just under £3.5 million. Within this sum around £200,000 might be directly allocated to the planting, gardens, garden design and plants within the 11 hectare area.

 

Reports in the respected local weekly paper, Essex County Standard, focus on the proposals relating to the developments of buildings and such like totalling just under £2.5 million.

 

In essence the park might be said to be 'Victorian' in feel and style, with 'gardens' dotted throughout the site. Each year the traditional bedding out of around 48,000 bedding plants and apparently 23,000 bulbs is undertaken.

 

On a sunny day in June it did indeed look in good order, the usual mix of elderly, tourists and young families being the principal vistor profile. The question that came to mind though was did the proposals seem imbalanced across the development of buidlings and hardscape alongside that of the plants and planting areas?

 

No doubt the long process of application for Heritage Lottery funding will enable the variously prioritised elements to be reviewed and reassessed over the coming months. It is to be applauded that some work is planned on the Roman Wall within the park, would that the rest of the Roman Wall in the town could be afforded such plans rather than being clad in corregated irn sheeting as presently.

 

For full details of the proposals visit Colchester Borough Council - Castle Park Restoration and Development Plan 2009