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A multi-million pound revamp of the city’s oldest park is set for the green light next week.
Moor Park is also the city’s oldest park and is grade-II listed.
Preston City Council is proposing to spend nearly £4million on a series of upgrades utilising money from its Levelling Up bid.
Read more: Government may need to make final call on overhaul plans for Waverley Park
The works are focused on improving the Serpentine Lake area amongst other proposed park improvements. The budget for the works was pumped up by £1million after the climb-down over the Ashton Park Sports Hub saw the money earmarked for that redeployed to other city projects.
No objections have been received to the scheme although the city council has rebuffed a request from Lancashire County Council’s highways team who asked for cycle paths across the park to be upgraded – but the Town Hall has shrugged saying there’s no money available for that and saying it’s a request rather than a requirement.
The park is also continuing to recover from hosting the BBC Radio 2 In The Park festival in September last year.
Torrential rain on the Sunday of the event saw the park turned into a quagmire and many parts of the park are still being worked on to help it recover after being churned up by festival-goers and festival equipment.
Repairs are expected to be complete by Springtime this year – including all the sports pitches being playable once more.
Here’s everything planned as part of the Moor Park upgrade.
The plans include
- Extending the Serpentine Lake on the Blackpool Road side of the park and de-silting the existing lake
- Reinstating a bridge across the Serpentine Lake and refurbishment its abutments
- Installing fountains in the Serprentine Lake
- Refurbishing the railings around the Lake
- Replace the railings at the lake edge in front of the Loggia
- Works to the Loggia by the Lake and surrounding area
- Footpath improvements around the Serpentine Lake
- Improved tree and shrub planting
- Improvements to the existing changing sports pavilion
- Improvements to the south-east park entrance at Deepdale Road
- Improvements to the main play area by the St Pauls Road entrance
- New wildflower meadows using the silt from the Serprentine Lake
The Serpentine Lake, which is known as a rat-infested swamp at present, is due to be extended to the south.
A bridge would cross the lake from east to west and replicate the route of the former bridge which crossed the lake – and be 26-metres in length and be green.
The Loggia – an outdoor corridor or gallery with a fully covered roof and an outer wall – is in poor condition. It will be restored and have refurbished benches and metalwork.
The changing room pavilion will be refurbished externally and internally and all windows painted brown.
A timber pergola will be put on the south-facing front elevation.
The play area at the St Paul’s Road and Moor Park Avenue entrance to the park is due to see play equipment repaired and re-used along with new pieces of play equipment.
The entire play area and surroundings will be resurfaced with new coloured tarmac along with an area of new rubber play surface.
Make more of Moor Park’s history
Rachael Bryson of the campaign group Preserving Preston’s Heritage said: “We welcome the park improvements but think that there is a missed opportunity to highlight the history of the park with history boards which could link via QR codes to information about the park’s long history.
“From the Civil War, to the beginnings of Preston North End, being used as a hospital in the First World War and horse racing too. Moor Park has a rich history to be celebrated.”
Improvements welcomed but more is needed on Moor Park
Kelly Turner who has run the Rosemary On The Park café since 2018 in Moor Park welcomed the improvements.
She told Blog Preston: “They have talked about improving the lake for as long as I have been on the park.
“To bring the old lake back to its former glory is wonderful and so many people will take enjoyment from it.
“Improvements on planting areas and a wildflower meadow will encourage more footfall, which, I feel, will benefit many of all ages, particularly those struggling with metal health issues.
“The Sports Pavilion is in need of a revamp, so this is welcomed, again encouraging more people to the Park and getting people of all ages to become involved in sports.
“What I would personally like is more signage to promote our cafe, particularly close to Serpentine Lake, the car park at PNE end and at the Sports Pavilion. What I would love is an extension onto my café to allow for more seating for all the extra visitors to the park.”
Kelly warned against any closures of Moor Park Avenue for works – saying the closures for the Radio 2 On The Park event affected her trade.
What happens next?
Planning officers have recommended the plans, tabled by S&L Planning Consultants on behalf of the city council, for approval.
The work is understood to be undertaken by Eric Wright Civil Engineering.
Councillors will meet on Tuesday 4 March to consider the Moor Park plans.
The Moor Park plans are part of a series of upgrades to city parks including Grange Park, Waverley Park and Ashton Park – although proposals for a sports hub were abandoned last summer in a council u-turn after widespread uproar from those living nearby to the proposals.
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