Work soon to start on dressing up Egerton Park

Rother District Council has earmarked £1million for regeneration in the hope of attracting new visitors to the park - families in particular who will be drawn to facilities such as a new play area which is hoped will be the jewel in this particular town centre crown.

The first step in the process is work on the Wickham Avenue side of the park where the lake is to be drained and then its edges smoothed out and made even, with the island in the middle rebuilt and replanted to provide new surroundings for the birds which call it home. It seems this process will take approximately five weeks.

RDC parks officer Rebecca Owen commented: “In places the lake edge is literally falling away and crumbling inwards. So, on one hand this is a safety issue, but on the other there will be the benefit in providing a uniform finish around the lake and park to lift the appearance.”

Replanting has already started and Rebecca predicts this will take place over four or five winters.

The border on the Woodville Road side has been cleared and most of the plants put in last year have already become established with only a couple needing to be replaced.

A new railing will be put up around the bowling green area to ensure the safety of wildlife and it is thought birds disturbed by the draining of the lake will soon return to settle once the water is back in.

The next major change is the removal of the wooden hut from which the council runs boating in summer.

Its platform will be removed as well, enabling the boating lake to be enlarged slightly.

The plan is to replace it with a refreshment kiosk, also selling tickets for boating, near the new play area which is to be completely re-designed and re-built, double the size it is now, landscaped and filled with new equipment approved by Bexhill’s young.

The plan for the Play Zone is to provide fun also for an older agegroup here, with equipment geared up to 15/16 year olds, and all this is expected to be completed within two years.

“This will have a really big impact on the park,” said Rebecca.

“The work on the lake edges won’t mean so much to the public whereas this really will. We are also thinking of having a sensory garden near the play area, and looking to enhance that area. We are working on this with our partners in Belgium, in Ostende, and the idea is to extend best practice.”

The result of all this will give Egerton Park a much “fresher” look according to Rebecca.

She added: “We need more people in here using the park and enjoying it. It is an oasis in the town but it is not used. You do get a lot of regulars in here, but we want to bring in the sort of people who would not think to come in here at the moment.

“I think the Play Zone will be the main element of the park that will do that.

“All the landscaping and work is going to mean an attractive environment, even if it doesn’t register with people, but I think subconsciously will improve their experience and entice them to come down here.”