Rouken Glen Park funding bid

Rouken Glen Park has taken its next crucial steps to gaining £3.2m of funding.

For the second round bid has been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fun Parks for People project. Parks for People offers grants for projects that regenerate public parks of national, regional or local heritage value.

After passing the first round, Rouken Glen was awarded a development grant of £123,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in December 2010 to allow the project to be developed in much greater detail.

The second-round application was submitted at the end of February 2012 and a decision on the application is expected to be made in June 2012 by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

East Renfrewshire Council is committing over £1million additional funding to the park over the next 10 years.

Following the initial first round bid, a number of physical improvement projects have been worked up in much greater detail. These include planning consent for the refurbishment of the pavilion, the extension of the Glen Path, the introduction of path lighting between the East Lodge and main car parks, installing power units to the events area, proposals to improve the water quality and attractiveness of the boating pond, and plans for improvements to the main entrance to make it more pedestrian and vehicle friendly.

Partnership projects have also been developed.

Woodfarm High School pupils led a consultation exercise with other school pupils to identify the most popular pieces of equipment for upgrading the play area.

The Friends of Rouken Glen Park has worked with the council to develop the overall project and are also developing plans for their own garden in the park and a clubhouse for use by groups providing activities in the park.

Carts Greenspace and others are developing proposals to enhance the walled garden and have been working with local volunteers to develop a range of volunteering opportunities in the park covering park maintenance and conservation, geology and archaeology.

If successful, the Heritage Lottery Fund money will be spent in the park from summer 2012 until spring 2016.