Another award creates a buzz for Alexandra Park

There is even more of a buzz than usual in Alexandra Park, Hoole after its pollinator habitat project scooped a Chester Civic Trust Award.

Chester Civic Trust presents awards to buildings, projects and community and cultural initiatives nominated by its members.  Alexandra Park, Hoole, scooped the top honour of the Chair’s Special Award for 2021.

The pollinator park project, commissioned by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Parks and Open Spaces team created an amazing variety of bespoke homes for bees and bugs made from a variety of materials including willow, birch, bamboo and metal.

Artist, Katayoun Dowlatshahi, was selected and commissioned to design the habitats, and the artworks made their debut in the park last summer.

The art installations support additional work which will improve facilities including the pathway network, refurbishment of the toilet facility and creation of a pollinator planting scheme in the park.  

The final phase of works has started, which will see a ramp and steps created to access the new toilet facility, and surface dressing of the remaining pathways around the bowling greens, rehanging gates and final planting of the pollinator borders.

Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Councillor Matt Bryan said: “This is a great news for such a fabulous project – the second award it has received too.  Increasing biodiversity in our parks and tackling climate change to protect ecosystems in the borough is high on the Council’s agenda. Encouraging more pollinator insects into our open spaces is so important.”

The park has previously won a Bees' Needs Champion Award from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). 

This project supports the Council’s Climate Emergency agenda and its target for the borough to be carbon neutral by 2045.

If people would like to join Friends of Alexandra Park and volunteer, please email contact:

friendsofalexandraparkhoole@gmail.com

or via Facebook 'Friends of Alexandra Park Hoole' to send a message.