Beauty spot to reopen after £2m facelift
Saturday 4th April 2009, 11:58AM BST.
A Shropshire beauty spot was due to reopen to visitors today after undergoing a £2million facelift.
The promenade, footpath and play area beside The Mere in Ellesmere was due to reopen following an 18-month transformation.
The work, led by Shropshire Council, has also seen The Boathouse, kiosk and visitor information centre buildings at the site revamped.
A brand new steam boat has also been added for visitors to enjoy trips on the lake, which dates back to the Ice Age.
The buildings will officially open in phases starting next Thursday at 11am with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Shropshire Council Deputy Leader Ann Hartley and town mayor Geoff Elner.
Councillor Hartley said today: “The Mere park is looking absolutely lovely.
“The bulbs and blossom are out are all out, people need to come down and take a look for themselves at the wonderful changes here.”
Councillor Elner added: “The park looks amazing – people who haven’t visited for a while are in for a shock.”
Under the revamp the roadside promenade is now home to lime trees and new flower beds. More than 20 new benches also adorn the waterfront.
The visitor centre and kiosk are expected to reopen before The Boathouse restaurant.
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“A brand new steam boat has also been added for visitors to enjoy trips on the lake, which dates back to the Ice Age.”
So that’s how we overcome the ice age, started using steam engines on boats to warm the place up. So this man-made Global Warming is nothing new then.
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what is it with these public sector lot they just cant stop themselves spending our money all the time, cut taxes now and stop these silly vanity projects
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surely this is an investment in green infrastucture even a tory boy can appreciate the value of that?
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Did it really need £2m spent on it? Surley its natural beauty and that can’t be man-made?
Surely they could have knowed the kiosk down and rented the pitch to a burger van and had some income?
Sometimes I wonder why I don’t run the council!
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There have been some very damaging and short sighted works completed at Ellesmere over time (e.g. cutting down woods to make a little used car park, dreadful blue painted lamp columns made it look like a cheap seaside town in decline) but this does seem to be a well thought and considered project. Ellesmere is a beautiful town that should thrive from tourism but seems to lack the publicity that it deserves.
Lets hope this puts it on the map
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As great as it all looks i don’t imagine it will be too long before there is an attempted break-in at the Boathouse and the kiosk is vandalised.
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rather just spent the money on protecting the green belt
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would be good to make the whole lake navigable and to ensure you can walk a whole circuit around the lake
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idontbelieveit: Ellesmere is on the map 52,90741 North 2.89678 West.
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idontbelieveit – I have also just checked and you find Ellesemere on my AA MAp so it is indeed on the map. However Hogwarts and Narnia have still been left of the map.
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