California Country Park Improvement Starting In Wokingham

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California Country Park

Work has begun on improving one of Wokingham Borough’s wonderful open spaces. Wokingham Borough Council has started the first phase of major improvements works at California Country Park in Finchampstead.

It comes after a public consultation was held last August and a planning application approved in March of this year.

The first phase will include improved car park layout providing easier parking, a new canopy to provide an all-weather outdoor covered café seating area, and a new two-way road to give better vehicle access.

The project has commenced with ecological tasks, and the programme of works will begin this week with the removal of some trees and vegetation agreed as part of the planning application.

Improvements

Once complete the project will result in a net gain in the number of trees on the site.

As part of the works, reptiles and glow worms will be relocated to a new home created within the country park. Ecologists will be on hand to ensure they are safe and well during the moves and to make sure there are no nesting birds in the trees and shrubs.

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for environment, sports, environmental health, leisure and libraries, said: “California Country Park is a wonderful green space used by residents across the borough and it has been a long held ambition to make it even better.

“Upgrading the infrastructure first will provide immediate benefits for our increasing number of visitors and put the foundations in place for future improvements in years to come.

“My thanks to everyone for their understanding and co-operation as this first exciting phase of works begins.”

Disruption to the day-to-day running of the country park will be kept to a minimum and the council will endeavour to give advance notice of any work as far as possible. The project is due to be completed in Easter 2018, and will be the first stage of wider improvements at California Country Park.

The council will consult the public about their views for the second phase of improvements which could include climbing and play facilities, more seating and information boards although no decisions have been made as yet.