Seafront Gardens project gets Lottery grant
In July 2009 Felixstowe moved a step closer to
securing a £2 million grant for repairs and improvements to
its historic Seafront Gardens, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund
awarding £152,300 to Suffolk Coastal to develop proposals
for the multi-million pound restoration project.
Felixstowe's Cliff Gardens and Town Hall Gardens, with the
Spa
Pavilion at their heart, are a unique part of town's
heritage.
Located between the town centre and the beach and incorporating
an entire seafront cliff from top to bottom, these historic gardens
have been providing pleasure to locals and visitors alike for over
100 years.
Within the gardens is a complex network of pathways, steps and
structures that have accumulated over the years to negotiate the
dramatic topography. Many are of historic significance and this was
recognised when the site was successfully listed on
the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
(new window) in 2003.
Bidding for funding
In 2008 Suffolk Coastal appointed the
Landscape Partnership (new window) to help
assemble a bid for funding, to restore and refurbish the gardens,
from the Heritage Lottery Fund's Parks for People programme. The
concept plan below shows the suggested improvements to the gardens
- click on the link below for a large version.
Follow this link for help with downloading and opening PDF files.
All applications to the
Parks for People programme (new window) are
assessed in two rounds. In our first round application we had to
demonstrate that the project meets the criteria laid down for
the Parks for People programme.
We submitted our first round application in February 2009 and in
July 2009 we were successful in being awarded a grant of £152,300
towards the cost of planning and developing the project up to the
second round application stage.
Second round applications are to be submitted to the Heritage
Lottery Fund in February 2011.
How you can get involved
The Friends of Felixstowe Seafront Gardens, a voluntary
community organisation has been set up to support the bid for
Heritage Lottery funding and to promote and enhance the physical,
natural and historical heritage of the seafront gardens.
For more information about the Friends visit the
Friends of Felixstowe Seafront
Gardens website (new window).
Landscape Partnership presentation
Follow the links below to view a presentation produced by the
Landscape Partnership giving the background to the project and
illustrating examples of some possible approaches. You can view or
download the complete presentation in one single PDF file or page
by page.
Follow this link for help with downloading and opening PDF files.
Follow this link for help with downloading and opening PDF
files.