CHERRY Hinton Hall and park could be in line for significant improvements following the publication of a report that recommends starting work on the second phase of a masterplan for the popular open space.
Among the objectives for the masterplan are reintegrating and re-landscaping an area of the hall grounds that has previously been inaccessible to the public, due to it being used as a propagation site.
Some of the park features set to be improved as part of the plan includes:
· Removing vegetation from the front and rear of the hall to provide uninterrupted views of the building;
· Improving the network of paths to allow for better accessibility for all users;
· Installation of better park furniture;
· Creating a permanent concession stand for refreshments and new toilets;
· Creating wild flower meadows and planting new trees and plants;
· Dredging the lake to enlarge the island, and increasing wildlife habitat with new planting.
The project (apart from the refreshment kiosk and toilets) will be funded using £400,000 of S106 contributions, which developers pay to help offset the impact of new development in the city. It is hoped work on the project will start in spring 2016.
Cllr Carina O’Reilly, Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places, said: “Cherry Hinton Hall is one of the best-loved parks in the city, known by visitors from all over the world as the location for the Cambridge Folk Festival.
“This masterplan is going to make it even more attractive for the thousands of residents and visitors who use it each year.
“Cambridge is rightly famous for its beautiful open spaces, which are valued by all sections of the community. It’s important that we continue to invest in them to ensure that facilities there meet people’s expectations and provide the setting for a variety of leisure activities.”
Cllr O’Reilly is recommended to approve the full business case for the delivery of the Cherry Hinton Hall Masterplan (second phase) at Community Services Scrutiny Committee on 14 January. The first phase of the masterplan was completed in 2011.
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