Bath & North East Somerset Council is planning to invest almost £500,000 in improvements to Bath’s Royal Victoria Park, in a bid to improve the facilities and experience for visitors.
The park, which attracts many thousands of visitors every year, features Botanical Gardens, lakes, floral and historical features as well as one of the biggest children’s play areas in the South West.
Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), the Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Royal Victoria Park is listed as Grade 1 on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens and plays a significant part in the city’s World Heritage Site status.
“The Council is committed to improving facilities and the visitor experience for everyone who uses the park.”
Investment includes replacing the play park’s triple slides with a bespoke slide and tower unit.
This is part of a total investment of £255,000 into play parks across the area, with 10 other play areas across the district having new play equipment installed before Christmas.
A major £300,000 refurbishment to modernise and improve the skate park at Royal Victoria Park is also planned for completion in May 2015 subject to planning approval.
The proposed new design will continue to accommodate all small-wheeled sports such as skateboarding, BMX-riding and scooter riding.
It will incorporate concrete bowls sunk into the ground which replicate the current large ramps in the park; it will also offer more ‘street’ features and a better ‘flow’ of continuous ride lines.
The public toilets in the pavilion building in the play area will also be improved in early 2015 with eight new, disability-compliant unisex cubicles, an investment of approximately £160,000 subject to planning approval, as part of an overall improvement plan for toilets across Bath and North East Somerset.
Alongside this, space is being created for a new café concession which will offer refreshments for adults and children, including healthy options from local and sustainable sources.
The Council plans to advertise the concession opportunities soon in order to let early in 2015 in preparation for the Spring/Summer season.
Planning applications for the toilet cubicles and café space have now been submitted, as well as the full application for the skate park, following public consultation over the summer.