At Tower Gardens, we are looking to reinstate the historic pleasure garden to its former glory through a scheme of hard landscaping and planting, as well as making accessibility improvements to the site so that it may be enjoyed by a greater range and diversity of people within the local community. We are trying to make the park usable for everyone so we would particularly like to hear from groups with additional needs.
On Thursday 10th we started a consultation to get your views about priorities and plans for how to use Town Deal funding to improve Tower Gardens. Over 60 people came to look at the Masterplan and Visuals of what the plan might look like on the day. If you would like to have a look the consultation will take place until the end of June and you can see the images in the Pavilion in Tower Gardens and on the Skegness Town Council’s website www.skegness.gov.uk .
The Tower Gardens Project is part of the Town Centre Transformation Town Deal project in Skegness funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Communities, the Connected Coast Town Deal Board and Local Government and being delivered by Heritage Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire’s foremost heritage-led regeneration charity. This exciting project is the first grant scheme to enhance the heritage of Skegness and will result in a substantial pot of grant funding being made available to local businesses and property owners in Skegness Town Centre, specifically Lumley Road, the High Street and Tower Gardens.
Tracy Stringfellow, Chief Executive Officer at Heritage Lincolnshire, said “This a fabulous opportunity to enhance Tower Gardens and we’re keen to hear from the community in Skegness about what you would like to see in this much loved park”
Chris Baron, Chair of the Connected Coast Board, said: “The planned improvements to Tower Gardens will enhance this historic and much-loved space and it is great to see the public consultation is taking place.
“These improvements will make Tower Gardens even more appealing as a place to visit and spend time for both local people and visitors, and together with our wider investment, will add to the overall experience in Skegness. We are pleased to be working in partnership to deliver these improvements.”
Steve Larner Town Clerk at Skegness Town Council said “ The Town Fund deal will make it possible to start a process of improvements to Tower Gardens. It funds phase 1 of the Masterplan for Tower Gardens which will focus on the pond and surrounding paths, plus a sensory planting area. The Masterplan also envisages further, but as yet unfunded improvements, including extending accessible play, further path works, an accessible Heritage Trail and further heritage planting. Tower Gardens is such an important asset for people in Skegness and this investment will deliver needed improvements.
Shona Hatton, director at Influence Landscape Planning and Design, said: “Influence was delighted to have been appointed to work on the Grade II Registered park at Tower Gardens. The site ‘Vision’ is pivotal in promoting the rich history of seaside tourism in Skegness and Lincolnshire as a county. The gardens represent one of the earliest phases of the designed landscape that was created for the Earl of Scarborough. Much of the gardens is still retained in the same naturalistic configuration as the original design, and the ‘Vision’ masterplan and improvements seek to recognise the gardens heritage significance whilst sensitively incorporating new features .
“Funding has been realised for a phase 1 set of improvements works to the historic core, including substantial repairs and restoration of the pond and cascade, path repairs and a new sensory garden. The unfunded ‘Vision’ masterplan also incorporates a new play area. We’d encourage everyone to take the opportunity to comment on the future ‘Vision’ for this significant public park.”
Craig Stopper, regional construction framework manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re delighted to be working alongside Heritage Lincolnshire, Skegness Town Council and Influence to redesign Tower Gardens and restore the site back to its former condition, creating a more inviting space for local residents and visitors to enjoy. It’s fantastic to be working with Skegness Town Council again through the Scape Regional Construction framework and we look forward to progressing with the plans and works getting underway.”
