Great Lines City Park Latest
1st September 2008.
Young people from Brompton aged 8 - 13 were given chance to have their say about the Great Lines City Park at a bespoke event at the Melville and Brompton Resource Centre last month. This event was kindly hosted by the Melville and Brompton Neighbourhood Co-ordinator, and supported by both Chatham World Heritage and the Kent Architecture Centre. Findings will be fed into the masterplan for the park, and will also help the development of young persons' consultation projects throughout the UK.
The Kent Architecture Centre has received funding from CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) to pilot a new 'Spaceshaper' programme to explore how children and young people feel about local parks and open spaces. The highly interactive consultation in Brompton was the first of its kind in the country. Observers from Bristol and Leeds attended the event, to learn from the young persons' experiences of the half-day of activities, and to see how the project worked on the ground.
Thanks to everyone who took part.
19th August 2008
Creating the Great Lines City Park
All are invited to Fort Amherst on Saturday 13th September, 2pm-4pm for the second stage of consultation on the future of the Great Lines. You can download the details here.
The proposed World Heritage Site application for Chatham Dockyard and its Defences presents a major opportunity for the Great Lines, and has led to a £2m bid to government to create a magnificent park. HTA Landscape Design are developing a masterplan for this park, and would like as many people as possible to help.
This event is a chance to:
Tell HTA how you use the park now – and how you would like to use it in future
Find out about the hidden gems within and around the Great Lines
Discuss the plans stemming from last month’s event
Try out engineering skills and win prizes in a fun competition (ages 5 to 105!)
Be creative
Help decide a name for the park
Visit the historic underground tunnels at Fort Amherst for free
Learn about Chatham’s World Heritage bid, and join the Chatham World Heritage Partnership
Whether you came to the last event and are keen to see how ideas are developing, or whether this will the first time you’ve been involved – we very much look forward to welcoming you.
On this occasion there is NO need to register.
18th August 2008
The full report from August’s very busy meeting of the Chatham World Heritage Partnership, focusing on the development of the Great Lines City Park, can be downloaded here. If you have any further comments or suggestions, please let us know. Everyone will be very welcome at the next event at Fort Amherst on Saturday 13th September, 2pm-4pm. This will be an opportunity to see how plans have developed, and continue to have a say – as well as to explore another of Chatham’s hidden heritage treasures. We look forward to seeing you there.
14th August 2008
Thanks to everyone who supported last week's Great Lines City Park consultation event - and particular thanks to everyone who was left standing patiently, once we ran out of chairs! Levels of interest in the park are extremely encouraging, and a feedback report will be circulated to all those present soon.
In the meantime, please mark the follow up event at Fort Amherst in your diaries - 2pm - 4pm on Saturday 13th September at Fort Amherst - and why not have a look at the photos from the event in the Photo Gallery.
4th August 2008
Over 150 people have registered to attend this Thursday's consultation on the Great Lines City Park, at the Royal Engineers Museum. This is a tremendous show of enthusiasm for one of Chatham's hidden heritage assets, and promises to be a very interesting evening. A second meeting will be held on Saturday 13th September. This will be chance to follow the development of plans, and for anyone unable to attend the August meeting to still have a say.
Watch this space for details, or contact chathamworldheritage@medway.gov.uk to be added to the mailing list for invites.
11th July 2008
Creating the Great Lines City Park
There will be a special meeting of the Chatham World Heritage Partnership at the Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Road, Gillingham on Thursday 7th August from 6pm – 8pm (registration from 5.15pm).
This summer, Chatham World Heritage Partners will create an inventive and sensitive masterplan for the Great Lines City Park. The proposed World Heritage Site application for Chatham Dockyard and its Defences presents a major opportunity for the Great Lines, and has led to a £2m bid to government to create a magnificent community park. This summer, a team of masterplanners hope to talk with as many people as possible to guide how best this money can be spent. This meeting is an opportunity to:
- Meet the masterplanners
- Learn about the process and programme for developing the masterplan
- Share ideas, and shape the plan’s vision and priorities
- Influence how the money is spent
- Support a wider community event in September
- Say what success will look like!
If you would like to attend, please register your name, address, and e-mail address (if you have one) by Friday 1st August, at chathamworldheritage@medway.gov.uk, or on 01634 331176.
Light refreshments will be provided, and there is free car parking on site. This meeting is kindly sponsored by The Aerial Reconnaissance Company.
8th July 2008
Free entry to Fort Amherst this summer!
The spectacular Napoleonic fortification of Fort Amherst will open free of charge this summer, from Sunday 13th July and every following Sunday until 14th September 2008. There will also be free entry on August Bank Holiday Monday (25th August) and Saturday 13th September.
Opening times are 10.30am – 4pm.
The free admission is a joint undertaking between Chatham World Heritage and Fort Amherst Heritage Trust, aimed at increasing public awareness of the future Great Lines City Park, and the World Heritage Site application for Chatham Dockyard and its defences.
Visitors will be amazed at the extent of these fortifications in the heart of Medway, and a free guided tour through the maze of tunnels dug deep into the chalk cliffs will lead to one of the finest views across Chatham and Rochester.
No need to book - just arrive on the day. Free parking is available on site (voluntary donations will be most welcome).
27th June 2008
In anticipation of the hopeful success of our £2m application to government's "Parklands" funding stream, the Chatham World Heritage steering group have appointed HTA Landscape Design to develop a masterplan for the Great Lines City Park. Open consultation will take place throughout the early summer, and will help guide how the money could be spent. Oliver Rock is the Senior Landscape Architect at HTA, and comments: "We are delighted to be part of this exciting and significant heritage project. Our design team are looking forward to working closely with the World Heritage Steering Group and the local community".
A meeting of the Chatham World Heritage Partnership will focus on converting aspirations for the Great Lines City Park into reality. To make sure your views help shape this major step forward for Medway, register to join the Partnership here.
Some of the team from HTA.
24th June 2008
The application to Parklands for £2m of investment in the Great Lines City Park has passed the second stage of assessment. A final decision on funding is expected in September. Watch this space!
