£35,000 grant application made to improve Wellington Parade Garden

Gloucester City Council has made an application to the Great Western Railway Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, for £35,000 to assist in the project to renew and upgrade the Wellington Parade Garden.

The total estimated cost is £49,000 with the city council contributing £14,000. The project would also include some public art. The garden was originally owned by British Railways Board before it was passed onto the city council via a private purchaser.

The grant application has been supported by Liberal Democrat Kingsholm councillors Isabel Brazil and Jeremy Hilton who have been working with officers to get the garden upgraded and reopened.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton said: "The garden was closed at the request of local residents who were fed up of anti social behaviour taking place.

"The project to get garden upgraded is taking longer than expected. Shortage of council funding to implement the agreed plan, hasn't helped, but we must get it right. The new design is laid out to discourage street drinking and bad behaviour.

"We are waiting for a decision on the GWR grant. On my suggestion, once the garden has been set out, we shall look to install some railway heritage public art to be the garden's centre piece."

Councillor Isabel Brazil added: "The grant application must be agreed by the Department of Transport. I hope they can make a quick decision as we are keen to start the ground works. The council wants to start onsite in April. The work would take three months."