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SITE INTRODUCTIONEXISTING PARK

The masterplan for Longford Park aims to protect and enhance its built and landscape heritage so the park can be managed and maintained sustainably in the future. The experience from visiting the site should connect and educate people to the rich heritage of the park. The masterplan will also try to restore and improve the park’s existing features as well as proposing some new interventions to bring in a mix of uses providing a choice of spaces and activities for people of all ages. The rejuvenation of the park intends to enhance and encourage education, health and wellbeing, community/ social interaction and biodiversity. The local economy will also benefit from the park’s improvements, through the cafe, tourism and space for local businesses and community groups.

Key Messages

Pets Corner

Great lawn and haha

Formal Garden Former Longford Hall portico

Longford Park location- Wider context

Larry Sullivan Garden/ Longford Hall footprint Kiosk/ former cafe

Turn Moss Playing Field

Stretford Ceme-

Stretford Grammar

Longford Park school

Sustrans Cycle way

Stretford tram stop

Biodiversity

• Promote existing biodiversity • Habitat creation- Longford Brook and

additional planting• Create healthy landscapes• Education- Wildlife Garden

Health and wellbeing

• Create opportunities for recreational activities

• Promote healthy lifestyle• Connect communities to nature to

improve mental health

Education and Culture

• Links to cultural attractions• Promote other attractions associated with

Longford Park and surrounding area• Provide clear information around the site• Create educational experiences

Social connections and event space

• Provide space for community projects• Meeting points• Space to events (market/art/performance)• Opportunities for people to interact

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KeyArea for Sports

Ryebank

Fields

Longford

Stadium

Existing residential area

Trim Trail

Improved hard surface to create outdoor space

Existing Built Structures/ Buildings

Tree Trail-Tree Trail to feature existing and proposed specimen trees. Starting at the red oaks in the central lawn going through to the wildlife garden.

Improved Views/ Vistas

Cycle Route

Resurfaced car parking - including clearly marked spaces to increase capacity. Improvements to also included tree planting.

Existing Trees

Improvements to Access Points/ Gateways

Art Trail-Art trail through east side of park providing opportunities for local artists do display work. Opportunities for permanent and temporary installations creating an ‘open air’ gallery.

Additional notes: Uniform fencing and signage throughout the park appropriate to Conservation Area status and heritage character. General improvements to hard and soft surfaces. Reinforcement of historic landscape features including works to trees to restore views and vistas.

Proposed Trees

Access crossings to be improved for safety

Restricted vehicular route to allow residents/ delivery access to safeguard park uses

1. Former Longford Hall- Restore steps and portico and enhance views to and from this area. Redesign and interpret the hall footprint with improved interpretation linked to the Rylands history. Potential for interactive digital experience and flexible performance space.

2. Kiosk- Options include removal, community use or function linked to sport/recreational use

3. Cafe- maintain and extend use of cafe with improvements to outside space and re-surfaced links to pets corner and play area.

4. Shippon Building (stable block)- Potential future role as community/visitor/education/volunteer hub alongside Scouts, with further potential for flexible small business space/workshops

5. Long Barn- Scouts equipment store

6. Firswood Community Centre, Beacon Centre and car park – improvements to

entrance from Firswood/Quadrant and parking provision

7. Bowling green/ Walled garden buildings- potential for greenhouses and covered

walkways linked to the history of this space

8. Existing play area- upgrade surface and expand

9. Growing/ display/ demonstration/education area linked to Pets Corner10. Pets corner -enhancements including fences, lighting, animal play equipment and

improved visitor experience, with potential for guest exhibitions and education

11. Grand lawn – potential for flexible performance space linked to restored grand lawn.

Potential to restore former ornamental pond/water feature

12. Shelters – potential for flexible performance space, art displays linked to trail

13. Wildlife garden – improvements to pond and wildlife features

14. Allotments area and demonstration garden- Space for storage of equipment

and tools needed.

15. Longford Brook – potential for reintroduction for biodiversity and sustainable

drainage

16. Naturalised areas – potential to enhance wildlife and biodiversity value/role

17. Formal Gardens – improvements linked to People’s Millions project and heritage with

potential for arboretum and improvements to rockery and former water features

18. Potential space for informal workshops19. Wheeled sports course – facility for bikes or skate park

20. Tennis courts – reconfigure and improve surface/fencing. Potential to form part of

sports hub with stadium

21. Trim trail- outdoor fitness route and equipment

22. Disc Golf Course – improvements to boundaries and entrance points

23. Playing pitches-Football pitches – potential to accommodate additional sports flexibly through seasons e.g. cricket/softball/baseball linked to area’s sporting and cultural heritage

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SCALE 1:2000

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| Longford Park | Longford Park

Open Courtyard

New Gates

Toilets Scouts

Shelter Community

Total Area Approx. 380m2

Educ

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Access to Rear

The images show an illustration and a draft layout for the Shippon building found to the west of the park. The Scouts are to remain on the right hand range of the building. The back end of the building to be designed as a classroom. The left hand range is to be designed as a community hub with a mix of uses. Other ideas include the building’s being used for community groups such as the Friends, City of Trees, cycle hub and growing groups to pair with the allotments encouraging healthy living.

Health and wellbeing is one of the main objectives the park hopes to achieve. The trim trail creates an active route around the park providing opportunity for all ages to be active and learn new skills. By spending more time in a natural environment especially being active can hugely benefit mental health and reduces risk of illness. The trim trail can be made of a collection of equipment to make sure people of all ages and abilities can have a choice of equipment.

Restoring and recreating some of the historic character of the park is a priority. Some key aims for this is to repair and restoration to the Longford Hall portico. The garden within the Hall’s footprint is to be redesigned to emphasise the building’s former character and uses. This could also include digital interactive features to enhance the education experience. Other key historic areas include the walled gardens, the haha, and great lawn.

Bringing back the brook will also enhance the historic appearance of the park.The park is home to a number of specimen trees and additional planting of an orchard within the wall garden can become part of the proposed tree trail.

This sketch shows the idea of opening up views onto the portico creating a landmark feature that can allow glimpses of this key historic structure from strategic points around the grand lawn. The staircase is to be restored with an informal footpath.

Sinse the bandstand was removed there has been a keen desire to bring back an area for performances and act as a meeting point. This proposal of an informal outdoor seating area aims to bring this to the park.

The art trail will both use the existing resources and features and bring in new details. The trail creates an opportunity for local artists to display their work, hold events and socialise. This attraction will bring people in from surrounding areas to experience local culture. The tree trail will use historic plan and existing green infrastructure to educate the visitor on the heritage and nature with in the park.

To enhance the biodiversity of the park a mix of planting such as wildflower planting, wetland planting and shrubs can be used to create environments to encourage new and existing species to thrive within the park. The wildlife garden will be maintained an enhanced to help educate. An idea to reintroduce Longford Brook to the park will create a new feature increasing biodiversity and enhancing the historic appearance of the park.

VISUAL IDEASRESTORATION AND INNOVATIONS

Ordinance survey- 1894

Rose garden Rock garden 1951