New lease of life for park land
EXCITING plans to open up part of a town centre park to the public have been revealed by its owners.
Bourne United Charities has arranged for two bridges to be built so people can access an island spanning three acres at the Wellhead.
The land is currently unreachable and overgrown but teaming with wildlife. It is expected to be especially popular with schools wanting pupils to learn about nature.
Chairman of Bourne United Charities Trevor Hollinshead, 60, of Poplar Close, Bourne, said: "It is an area that we can only look at from afar and looks rather overgrown with different things.
"The aim is to make it more accessible and we are hoping that schoolchildren will access it to look at the river and wildlife.
"We are hoping that everyone is going to benefit and the children especially.
"We want to make the Wellhead more than just a footpath and a shortcut from South Street to the estates."
Members of Bourne Green Gym will help to build to create two bridges and a boardwalk over the island by the end of the year.
Volunteers from the community fitness group, run by the Hereward Group Practice in Exeter Street, have already started work laying the foundations for the boardwalk.But they will soon have to stop work for the breeding season.
Bridges will eventually be installed on each side of the island to link with the boardwalk and a pond dipping platform will also be built next year.
The charities groundsmen began the preparatory work for the board walk last year and Bourne Green Gym members began work in January. Both groups access the island via a makeshift bridge which is removed at the end of each session.
It is hoped the board walk will be finished by the middle of March and the group expects to start work on the bridges in June.
Project manager for Bourne Green Gym Rosemary Blakesley said her members are thoroughly enjoying the project.
She said: "We are hoping to make people aware of their environmental surroundings and how important it is to keep this space which so many towns do not have."
The island is home to a variety of species of birds, including ducks and coots, along with some amphibians and small mammals.
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Weather for Bourne
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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Wind direction: East
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