Earlier developments
25th March 2007
Looking towards the entrance area at Palatine Road 25th March 2007
So far the contractors have levelled the walkways and laid tarmac on nearly all of the surfaces. Work has also started on preparing the area near the Palatine Road entrance to the Park with some planting of shrubs and trees.
Looking upstream from the car park towards the weir and the Tatton foot bridge
The tarmac is not the final surface, which will be a golden brown resin bonded gravel, referred to as "muesli" in a recent Friends Group meeting!
It looks very nice, but ...
Under the motorway bridge to the Palatine Road bridge
There is a possible problem with the planting here. The two silver birch trees (I think that is what they are!) tend to block walking and cycling routes along the south bank of the River heading in a general westerly direction. Certainly betula pendula will grow over time to quite a substantial size and the one nearest the river could force people onto the very edge of the bank.
The issue of access along the river bank under the two bridges was discussed at a recent meeting of the Friends Group when we were shown the detailed plans. We had thought that our concerns had been noted. An issue to return to perhaps.
Issues such as this help to demonstrate the importance of the Friends Group and may give you a compelling reason to join the Friends Group.
A telephone conversation today (27/03/07) with MEDC, who are managing the development and work confirms that the trees have been wrongly sited by the contractors. The dug over and levelled area behind the trees in the photograph is to be grassed for use as a path. The birches will be sited behind a bench in this part of the park.
This area is important, and beautiful
A heron upstream of the weir
The entire river area is rich in animal and plant life. The Riverside Park Development should help to make it even more attractive whilst maintaining and widening the current diversity of riverside life.
The Mersey Valley has been nominated as one of the 20 hidden tourist gems nominated as a follow up to the BBC magazine's alternative tourist map of Great Britain.
