WORK is due to start on restoring Kidderminster’s Brinton Park to its former glory after Wyre Forest District Council received a £2.4million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.
McPhillips (Wellington) Limited has been appointed to deliver the scheme and work will start in the coming months.
The project will restore and conserve the park’s historic and natural heritage, fund new and improved facilities in the park and develop training, leisure, and volunteering opportunities.
The overall investment will total £2.9million.
The original plans have changed since the grant application was submitted, legal issues have led to delays and costings have gone up since 2019. The scheme has had to be redesigned to get within the budget.
New cafe, terrace and ornamental pond
The park will now benefit from a cafe – in the Sons of Rest Pavilion – and a terrace overlooking a new ornamental pond. Structural work is needed on the building and the inside is being remodelled to create a new community space too.
The new pond will be on the site of the old paddling pool. A borehole will be installed for the water supply. The pool will attract more wildlife to the park.
Other improvements for attracting more wildlife include management of the woodland, installing bat boxes and landscaping with new flower beds and shrub planting.
Work will take place to improve the entrances to the park including a new traffic flow to make the main entrance safer. And the toilet block is being refurbished.
Coun Tracey Onslow, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Culture, Leisure, Arts and Community Safety said: “We are delighted to be able to announce that work is due to start shortly on this project.
“It has been a long process, the delays have been unavoidable, but we have finally got the designs over the line and our contractors are ready to start.
“This is a really exciting project for Kidderminster and restoring the People’s Park for everyone’s enjoyment is now about to get underway. “
Planning permission for the project has been granted and discussions are now under way about when works can start on site.
The project is expected to take around 14 months to complete.
