A dip in pool at city beauty spot

Apr 10 2008 By Gurdip Thandi

THE water level of a famous beauty spot pool is to be lowered by a metre as part of works to improve the site.

Lichfield District Council will be reducing the amount of water in Minster Pool to enable engineers to check the condition of the banks below the water line.

The work is part of the authority's Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund to improve three city centre parks: Minster Pool, Beacon Park and the Garden of Remembrance.

Lowering the pool will help the council plan how the bank along Minster Pool Walk can be improved.

Coun Neil Roberts, cabinet member for development services, said: "We're keen to tell everyone about the works as we wouldn't want anyone to think the pool had sprung a leak.

"Hopefully the works will be straightforward and we expect to have Minster Pool back to normal by the end of April."

Also, as part of the second stage to the funding bid, the council has put together an online survey to find out what people think about the proposals to improve Beacon Park, Minster Pool and the Garden of Remembrance.

In October last year, the council was awarded £215,000 Heritage Lottery Fund cash to develop their plans to improve the three parks.

If this second stage of the bid is successful, the Council will receive nearly £4 million to transform Beacon Park, Minster Pool and the Garden of Remembrance.

Plans include restoring historic features such as balustrades, gates, statues and Beacon Park's fountain.

Landscaping and refurbishing key features will also help to restore the open spaces to their former glory.

* To have a look at the plans, to rate the individual elements, and to give comments, visit www. lichfielddc.gov.uk/historic parks

Anyone without access to the internet but still wanting to see the plans, can visit the Have Your Say stand at the Lichfield Bower festival at Beacon Park on May 26.