Phase 1 & 2
The first phase of Fen Park regeneration began in 2005. This started with the children’s play area which was completed in February 2006. As a group we held an event to open the new revamped play area and lots of people came along to show their support.
It was opened by the Deputy Mayor Mr. Gifford Baxter. We had stalls, games, a children’s entertainer and some of the committee put in their own money towards sweets and lollies to give to the children. WDC gave us £30 toward expenses. Later in 2006 we held a Picnic on the Park/Information day for local children. This was a free event and great fun was had by all, until about mid-day when the skies opened and it started to pour with rain. But this didn’t dampen spirits; in fact, some of the children enjoyed playing about in the rain! In March 2007 the Sensory Garden was nearing completion and after WDC had finalised the planting, local school children helped put the finishing touches by spreading wood bark around the plants. We didn’t spend all the money on the garden, so were able to have some new fencing around the park. This has helped make the park a safer environment, as the old fencing was either worn out or damaged. With the help of WDC we had new bench seats put in place around the park, as well as picnic tables and bins. These have been appreciated by people of all ages who use the park.
Funding for the wooden bench came from the Lowestoft Forum; it was commissioned by us and made by local disabled people from SOLD.
We also had new pathways put in by SCC, giving continuous access along by the pond and out onto the pathway next to the new road. This has made the park more accessible for everyone. We have had good feed back from the public, indicating that this was much appreciated.
In August 2007 we held an event on the park. We called it a Funday/Car boot to help spread awareness that Fen Park Friends had not gone away, but were still working hard in the back ground to achieve our ambitions of continuing to regenerate the park, that we would now be concentrating on the ponds and wooded area of the park. This was to include a nature walk and an improved area for fishing. The event was opened by the Mayor of Lowestoft Sally Spore. As Chairman of Fen Park Friends I was presented with an award from Suffolk A.C.R.E. for our work in the Community, by Deputy Mayor David Young.
We received a grant of £5,000 from LT enabling us to carry on with our continuous effort to regenerate the park. To proceed further we would need to put together both a Business Plan and a Park Management Plan, enabling us to go for Grant Funding; to hold future events to raise funds and awareness and to make it a park for all of the community in their recreational pursuits.
Phase 3
Phase 3 is a very large part of the regeneration plan. We have been seeking advice from all agencies involved with this project and we are breaking these down into different job sections and looking at costing and sustainability.
As the islands and some of the surrounding banks are slowly sinking we have to stabilize these areas.
This is called piling and can be done using different materials: wood, recycled plastic or steel. At the moment we have had costing for using wood, this would possibly be the cheaper option but not the most sustainable. Recycled plastic or steel would last much longer; both of these are under consideration. We have talked with a business dealing with recycled plastic material, and have a representative coming for a visit to the park within the next fortnight to discuss details etc.
When piling has been completed it will leave at least half to one metre proud, to be in-filled with silt. Before dredging of the silt commences, the fish will have to be removed from the pond.
If silt is removed off site this would put a considerable strain on the budget as it is a costly business. So the silt dredged out of the pond will be used to infill the now stabilised islands and banks and also used for landfill on site. The removed silt has to be sprayed to stop the spread of disease, it will eventually after a while breakdown into fertile soil, ready for the planting of new trees in the future and creating a better habitat for wildlife.
On the management plan we were looking at having bridges between the islands, but after consultations with the agencies and experience gained in listening to opinions and looking into both the planning and costing, culverts have been decided upon. Culverts are large pipes that can be sunk in the water allowing water flow through and around the islands and over filled to give accessibility between the islands. This will bring down costs considerably in this area, but hopefully will help to counteract the higher cost of sustainability in other areas.
The start of the proposed Nature Walk onto the islands is shown on the map as a bridge being the first point of access; this however is subject to change. Yet again we are looking at different materials for the walkway to make sure it has sustainability.
This entrance is next to the sluice gate, which is still leaking! One idea is to put shuttering in about 2 metres from the gate, place a pipe in position to allow an overflow if required into the stream that flows parallel to Fen Park., this could be back filled with concrete creating the first point of access onto the Nature Walkway given that handrails are added for safety.
Observations of the sluice gate and pond over the summer months, especially with the water level being low at this time of year, showed that with water continually draining from the pond several fish died and a mud bank appeared in the middle of the pond between the islands.
