Capita appointed to South Ribble scheme
South Ribble Council has appointed the landscape architecture team from Capita's Blackburn office to develop masterplan proposals for Central Park, a 150-acre green space just outside Preston city centre.
The council's aim is to inspire a sense of heritage and identity throughout the park by introducing a design concept linked to the site's industrial history. Each proposed zone of the park will include an independent strategy for development, sustainability, funding and usage but will fall under the overarching design philosophy provided by Capita's masterplan.
Plans were announced to create a new park as part of South Ribble Council's 40th anniversary celebrations in April 2014. The council has recently completed a public consultation on the footprint for the park.
Central Park will be similar in size to Worden Park, creating a "green spine" for South Ribble, taking in parts of Bamber Bridge and Lostock Hall in the south, stretching north towards the River Ribble. Work will be carried out in phases, and the council said it hoped that the whole of Central Park will be created within 15 years.
Capita's proposals will outline a range of transformations and improvements to the site, to provide benefits to residents and local neighbourhoods. Overall objectives include unlocking wider regeneration aspirations, gaining support from funders and stakeholders, and providing the authority with guiding principles to achieve a long-term strategy.
The masterplan will be developed in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework guidelines to ensure that the proposals are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.
