Cuerden Valley Park

Client: Cuerden Valley Park Trust, Lancashire

Cuerden Valley Park is a working estate with pasture, parkland and visitor facilities stretching to 650 acres. It is owned and operated by the Cuerden Valley Park Trust (CVPT). There was a network of multi-use footpaths and cycle trails (including a section of route 55 of the National Cycle Network) that were heavily used and in need of repair and, in places, re-design/development to remove the issues of erosion and damage. The CVPT is committed to providing access to a broad visitor base, whilst balancing the need to conserve and protect areas of high value nature conservation habitat for protected species of bats, birds, amphibians, and mammals.

The broad aims of the project were to create a new 2.5 metre wide multi-user accessible path with a slope suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, trampers and and general use, approximately 300 metres in length to link the visitor centre and café to the bridge, that crossed into the wider path network, whilst passing through a wildflower meadow. Wildflower meadow enhancement works, an edible hedge, new access points, gates, seating and interpretation were all included.

We were involved from the design stage, through a complex planning stage, including submission of planning, production of a Flood Risk Assessment and a Precautionary Working Method Statement to satisfy planning conditions, consultation with the Environment Agency, local badger group, working with ecologists right through to tendering the works (and all drawing, specification and technical detailing) and overseeing works on site through to completion.

Completed June 2023.