This Week. Phase 1 of works to completely resurface the road from the Seldown Lodge entrance has started to move forward with the northern footway removed and the road itself starting to be lifted and removed. A lot of investigation and checking is required as to the exact location of buried services, drainage and street lighting cables so that these can be replaced and allowed for as things start to move towards laying the new surfaces.
Thank you if you have been using the park as part of your daily exercise and had to detour around the works to access the park, keeping areas closed off helps the works to progress quickly and safely, especially important at the moment.
Poole Park was built in the 1880’s and it may be surprising that some original features remain, such as Dorset iron Foundry gully covers on the side of the road. The contractor will be trying to preserve and re-use these wherever possible to maintain the original link with these being fabricated on Poole Quay over a hundred years ago. For now though they are all bagged and covered to prevent any waste material going down them and in to the lagoon.
Westfield car park has been changed dramatically already and is being prepared for new paths around the outside and a new shape and narrower entrance. Up at the Bowls club an overflow car park is being prepared to provide some additional capacity at peak times such as annual events.
Next Week will see more of the same! planing off of tarmac from Seldown entrance, removal of steel knee rails to the garden space, finishing of the overflow car park, installation of new kerb lines at Westfield car park, and plenty more.
In other work around the park new irrigation (photo, below left) is being installed at the War Memorial garden to help maintenance in the drier months (not currently a problem!) and the recent wet spell has been very well received by the new planting around the freshwater lakes which is starting to really come on alongside last years shrubs and trees. Photos below from slightly sunnier days a couple of weeks ago.
