Improvement plans for local park

(Date of issue: Wednesday, 16 February 2011)

Two new bespoke gates will be installed at entrances to Rickerby Park, Carlisle this Friday (18 February).

Produced, on behalf of Carlisle City Council by Brunstock Engineering the iron gates will be installed at the Linstock entrance to the park and the memorial bridge entrance. Both are themed around the flow of the River Eden and match three kissing gates installed within the park in 2008.

The £3,800 cost has been paid for by Carlisle City Council, through Stanwix Urban City Councillors’ Community funds. The three City Councillors who represent the ward are Cllr Mallinson, Cllr Geddes, and Cllr Nedved. They gave a total of £4,500 towards improvements to Rickerby Park (£3,800 has been spent on the entrance gates and £700 on tree planting).

Cllr Ray Bloxham, Portfolio holder for Environment said:

“In addition to the new gates, further enhancement works are also planned for the park. This has followed consultation with the Friends of Rickerby Park group. Improvements to the car park at the Linstock end of the park will result in new tarmac being laid within the next week. The £25,000 has been made available from Carlisle City Council’s Environmental Enhancement Fund .The footpath from the main riverside car park to the cenotaph will also be resurfaced along with various other sections of footpath in the park.”

Other works planned include: the upright concrete posts will be taken out and replaced with wooden bollards at the main riverside car park; two new wooden commemorative benches will be installed around the cenotaph and a new double bin will go in at the Linstock car park, when the improvement works are finished.

Carlisle City Council’s Countryside Section, who manage Rickerby Park, has been working with the Friends of Rickerby Park to implement the improvements as part of an action plan for the park. This was put together by council officers after extensive public consultation last February.

Secretary of the Friends of Rickerby Park Cath Rowlandson, said:

“This injection of funding into the park will be most welcome and these improvements should make a real difference to the park. It is hoped that the Friends of Rickerby Park and the City Council can now build on this success and draw down yet more funding in the future.”

If you would like to get involved with the Friends of Rickerby Park then please come along to the next meeting of the group on Monday, 4 April at 6pm at Bitts Park Depot or phone 01228 618552 for more details.