NEWS RELEASES
New improvement plan for Horsham Park
3rd February 2006
IT has always been the Council's objective to make Horsham Park a place of joy for all members of the family, including those who simply want a stroll in peaceful surroundings, active young families who want lots to do and those engaged in energetic sports too.
A recent survey carried out among 2,000 users suggests that we have managed to get the balance just about right and the valuable comments we have received from these responses will help us formulate our long term management plan.
For a long time, however, there has been one corner of the Park which we believe has not lived up to expectations and that is the entrance from the town centre subway and the land immediately surrounding the former Park Recreation Centre, now Horsham Superbowl.
Following internal discussions and public consultation, we have produced an improvement plan for this area which we believe will make this whole area much more pleasant for all.
This would involve some reorientation of the present 40 space car park and turning it into a pay and display facility with special arrangements for Superbowl users. The vacated land would become an attractive space for pedestrians and Park visitors, partly paved and partly landscaped, the centrepiece of which would be a striking piece of modern art by Sussex artist Steve Geliot taking the form of a "high tech" tree with fibre optics producing a glow effect. The area would also contain public seating and, most importantly, would join the Park's pathway system with the Albion Way subway into Medwin Walk and the town centre.
At the same time it is planned to widen the main path leading to North Street so that it becomes easier to use for both cyclists and pedestrians whilst detailed discussions will take place with a view to creating a new Community Garden on the site of the former putting green, an area which is screened by mature bushes. Talks have taken place with The Friends of Horsham Park and Horsham in Bloom as to possible themes for this exciting plan and we are hoping to attract sponsorship. One suggestion has been the linking of the landscape with medicinal plants and we have been talking to a leading Horsham employer Novartis about this idea.
Other plans include an extension to the very successful skate park, the re-surfacing of tennis courts, the creation of an all year ball court suitable for basketball and five a side football, sports pitch enhancements, greater CCTV coverage and the employment of a dedicated park ranger.
The Park Improvement Plan will be presented to the Cabinet for its consideration on February 9 and will become a subject for further consultation before being submitted to the Council for full planning permission. A budget is already available for the main part of the work and if these processes can be completed then we could expect work to begin in the Autumn.
I am sure that many people will be interested in these ideas and will wish to comment on them in due course.
Ends
Councillor Jean Burnham, The Chairman, Horsham District Council, Park North, North Street, Horsham, RH12 1RL.
Email: contactchairman@horsham.gov.uk