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December 2009: Plans submitted for Swanage HRC A planning application was submitted to Dorset County Council in December for a replacement Household Recycling Centre (HRC) in Swanage. The proposed facility would be larger, accessible to all members of the public and more efficient than the existing facility which is scheduled for closure. Nicholas Pearson Associates and a team of sub-consultants working with Dorset Engineering Consultancy of DCC, have designed the scheme to integrate with the existing landscape in recognition of the AONB designation and it is informed by other environmental characteristics of the site and its location. We also co-ordinated the planning submission, together with the Design and Access Statement, Environmental Statement and other statutory documents. A decision on the application is expected in Spring 2010 with works beginning in Spring/Summer 2010 if permission is granted. Works are expected to take a year with the facility opening in Spring/Summer 2011. We are aiming to achieve a 'Very Good' within the CEEQUAL assessment process.
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Our annual day trip and team building took us to the Cotswold
water park and the Cotswold
Forest School to learn some bush craft / survival skills.
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September 2009: Quality Standard Achievement We are very pleased to announce that we have gained accreditation
to the internationally recognised Quality Standard ISO9001:2008.
Our accreditation covers all services provided from the office,
including environmental planning, landscape architecture, ecology
and our additional specialist service in digital design, graphics
and GIS. In support of the work we do for the Highways Agency and
their supply chain partners, we have also gained accreditation to
the new National Highways Sector Scheme 18 – Environment and
landscaping including ecology. The accreditation was carried out
by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Limited. We continue to deliver quality solutions and services to all our clients, and aim to continuously improve the effectiveness of our delivery.
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August 2009: Planning consent for new facilities at Hayesfield School, Bath The proposed new Sports and Performing Arts development for Hayesfield
School, Bath has been given planning (and Conservation Area) consent.
This major project will provide a new high quality sports hall and
performing arts facility, as well as upgraded multi use sports facilities,
for the existing school which is located within the World Heritage
Site. The site with considerable topographic constraints and numerous
mature trees is in a sensitive and locally prominent position. As
a key member of the design team we undertook landscape and visual
appraisal, ecology surveys and landscape design of the external
realm to demonstrate that the proposals could be successfully integrated
into the surrounding landscape and townscape context. We were also
closely involved with the extensive consultation process, prepared
the tree retention and removal strategy and prepared high quality
photomontages to illustrate the proposals.
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July 2009: High quality scheme launched in Bath Bathwick Place, Sydney Wharf, Bath is the latest high quality
residential scheme completed in Bath with which we have been involved.
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June 2009: New Book Inspires Good Practice Following the success of the first edition of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Handbook, a completely revised second edition has been published this month. This second edition is fully updated in line with the recent Planning Bill and is expanded to include a new chapter on Strategic Environmental Assessment. The handbook offers a comprehensive practical guide to the requirements of EIA, explaining the process in a clear and straightforward way. The authors include Nicholas Pearson Associates Director Trevor Turpin, and Associates Adam Boyden and Alison Carroll. For details see www.thomastelford.com
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May 2009: Re-vitalising central Swindon Following a framework competition, we are delighted to have been appointed, under team leaders Arup, with the commission to design the external realm for Regent Street Swindon. Our client is The New Swindon Company, whose mission is to facilitate the sustainable physical and economic regeneration of the town centre. Regent Street, a key pedestrian thoroughfare through the town, has an established history, is a commercially vibrant street and will, we are confident, be re-vitalised by these new proposals.
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Bristol City Council Central Area Planning Committee has granted
planning approval for the University of Bristol’s proposed
£80m development of new research and teaching accommodation
for the Departments of Mathematics and Bioscience.
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March 2009: Planning consent for Boscastle Sewage Treatment Works ‘Planning permission was recently granted by Cornwall County
Council for a new Sewage Treatment Works and associated development
in Trevalga, North Cornwall. The STW will serve the communities
of Boscastle, Bossiney and Tintagel. The scheme will consist of
the main STW, five pumping stations and approximately 7km of pipeline.
The treated sewage will be discharged via the existing outfall in
Bossiney.
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Nicholas Pearson Associates employee Chris Bodle created a series of after-dark projections in Bristol to visualise the effects of rising seawater levels. The Watermarks project was a public art project that used the projections to explore questions of climate change and rising sea levels by showing how high water levels could potentially rise. By displaying these levels in real space, the project aimed to help us to imagine the depth and extent of this potential future flooding - allowing us to measure them against ourselves in familiar environments. The project highlighted the need for mitigation and adaptation measures to be social and cultural as much as scientific and technical. The future of our cities and landscapes, and our responses to rising sea levels, needs to emerge from as wide a base as possible, and not just from scientists, politicians, engineers and the built environment professions. More about the project can be found here: www.watermarksproject.org
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January 2009: Investors in People Award We are very pleased to announce that we have been recognised as
an Investors in People since early December 2008.
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December 2008: Blunsdon Bypass open The A419 to the north-east of Swindon opened this month. We prepared the ES and the environmental design and gave evidence at the Public Inquiry. Landscape works will continue through to Spring 2009. Partners on this Highways Agency scheme included Carillion and Mouchel.
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November 2008: Bath Transport Package Bath Transportation Package (BTP) is a £54 million project, which is supported by the Department for Transport, to make travel throughout Bath easier by improving public transport. Key features of the package include increasing park and ride capacity by over 2,500 parking spaces and providing a new rapid transit route. Nicholas Pearson Associates has been appointed by Bath and North East Somerset Council to provide urban design and landscape consultancy services for the project, working alongside a team of planners, engineers and other built environment professionals to deliver a comprehensive set of proposals.
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October 2008: Planning Permission for new Art and Design facilities Bath Spa University has now received planning permission for its exciting proposals to enhance and improve the facilities at Sion Hill Campus for The School of Art and Design. This investment in new facilities will provide a specialist learning environment of the highest quality. We are responsible for the landscape design of the project, and have assisted in the promotion of the proposals through public consultation and planning, with our graphics department preparing all the exhibition and promotional artwork and design.
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September 2008: A Walk in the Treetops... It may be old fashioned, but we still like to get all staff together away from the office for a day each year to relax, visit a place of interest and enjoy each others’ company. This year we went to Kew Gardens with the specific intention of walking in the treetops at the new installation 18m above the ground. This was followed by a long lunch at a local family-run Greek restaurant and a snooze afterwards in the Gardens – yes, the sun shone for us all day!
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August 2008: Regenerating the heart of Swindon The New Swindon Company’s mission is to facilitate the sustainable physical and economic regeneration of the town centre of Swindon. Seven zones have been identified as regeneration areas across Swindon's town centre. Each will be redeveloped to provide a focus for investment. We have been appointed to the NSC Framework, with Arup, to provide external realm design services. The team has now been awarded the first commission , which is to design Canal Walk, the premier pedestrian thoroughfare through the Town.
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July 2008: University of Bath IEM Award MSc Integrated Environmental Management – Nicholas Pearson Associates Award The Masters has been run for over 10 years as a distance learning degree and the standard of the students has always been especially high. In recognition of the efforts of students, each year we award a cheque and certificate to the student whose Dissertation is, in the opinion of the external examiners, of a particularly high standard. This year’s Award has been presented to Emmanuel Munyikwa for his dissertation ‘Does ISO14001 lead to improved environmental performance? – a case study of Alcoa’s Banbury plant’.
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June 2008: Planning approval granted for Unite Proposals for a 300 bed student accommodation development on the
Lower Bristol Road, Bath have received planning consent. The sensitive
site is adjacent to the River Avon SNCI and Bath Conservation Area
and includes the Listed Charlton Buildings.
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May 2008: Dam by Trevor Turpin Dam , written by Director Trevor Turpin, was published in May by Reaktion Books - ‘a profusely illustrated exploration of a previously neglected subject, the book is neither a polemic against nor a defence of the proliferation of dams. It offers a fresh and much needed account of their design, function and construction which will appeal to dam engineers, historians, students and environmentalists as well as those who previously only recognized the Dambusters March’. www.Reaktionbooks.co.uk
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April 2008: Social benefits of River Restoration Trevor Turpin presented a paper on the Social Benefits of river restoration at this year’s annual conference held at the University of Exeter. We have been members of the Centre since its inception following considerable experience of the restoration particularly of urban rivers since the mid 1990s. The paper, written by Trevor, Paul Jolliffe and Naomi Harris, focused on the experience of the restoration of the River Marden which had been channelised in the 1960s. Its transformation has acted as a catalyst for the regeneration of the centre of the town of Calne and has initiated other community based works along the river.
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March 2008: On track at Gloucester We are part of the successful team, led by GVA Grimley, which has won the master planning commission for the Railway Triangle, Gloucester. The client is The Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company Ltd (GHURC), responsible for the renaissance of Gloucester and for the attraction of £1billion of private sector investment to the city in the next ten years. Working with Lead Master planner Nash Partnership, and infrastructure and transport consultant Alan Baxter and Associates, we are defining a development and open space strategy for this 43 hectare English Partnership site which is a key gateway to the City.
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December 2007: Redevelopments moving ahead for historic college We have been working with Malvern College for just over a year now as part of a multi disciplinary team supporting a significant programme of development projects. We were invited to join the team because of the need to respond to the sensitive environment; Malvern College lies adjacent to the Malvern Hills AONB, within a Conservation Area, contains numerous Listed buildings and provides a range of excellent habitats for bats. We have variously undertaken and prepared landscape and ecological appraisals, bat surveys, landscape designs and detailed proposals and specifications, and coordinated arboricultural surveys, in support of a range of proposals and planning applications. We are now also assisting the college in their plans for combining their preparatory school with The Downs School at Colwall.
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November 2007: BALI award for external realm design The Bath Spa Hotel has won a National BALI award under the category of Mainly Hard Landscaping - Construction cost over £100,000.00. As part of a major refurbishment of the hotel a previously unmanaged and unused area was redesigned to provide a new garden and associated spaces linking the main hotel to an extension. Key constraints were significant changes in level, as well as mature trees and access requirements. The overall design involved ground reshaping, removal of some retaining walls, as well as the careful design of paths to achieve required access and open up the views of the building facades. Nicholas Pearson Associates produced the design which was implemented by ISS Waterers.
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October 2007: Green light for new park and ride The Salisbury District Council Planning Committee met last month to consider the planning application for the proposed Petersfinger Park and Ride site south-east of Salisbury, Wiltshire. The committee voted on the motion to approve and the outcome was in favour of the application. The submission was praised for the design of the site and the quality of the planning application. This was also recognized by IEMA who gave the Environmental Statement a very high review rating. Nicholas Pearson Associates recognize this as an appreciated compliment for the work which we produce. We will continue to be part of the design team as the project enters the construction phase with the preparation of the contract documents.
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September 2007: Upgrade for an Army barracks North Wiltshire District Council granted planning permission in September for the multi-million pound redevelopment of Basil Hill Barracks, Corsham. We worked closely with Laing O'Rourke, FaulknerBrowns Architects and Halcrow Yolles to produce a masterplan, which includes a new Global Operations Security Control Centre, 1850 work-spaces, new living quarters for 180 service personnel, sports amenities, a new nursery and retention of existing operational and logistical facilities. We will now continue to develop the scheme to tender stage ready to start on site early 2008.
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August 2007: Working with the Royal Shakespeare Company Bennetts Associates Architects have appointed
Nicholas Pearson Associates, to provide landscape design support,
as part of the multi disciplinary design team, which includes Buro
Happold, working on the transformation of the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre and the surrounding site, in Stratford upon Avon.
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July 2007: Graduate Award Announced Every year, Nicholas Pearson Associates award a prize to the student completing the Integrated Environmental Management course at the University of Bath with the highest dissertation mark. The winner of this year's award is Alexandra Hetherington. Her dissertation examined the extent that waste collection affects the environmental performance of a sustainable waste management system. Alexandra is currently working for the University as a module tutor and investigating e-moderating for future use on the course. Dr. Trevor Turpin presented her award on 21st June.
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June 2007: New technologies for new facilities at Wiltshire estate A new 43 bedroom hotel and health spa facility has gained planning permission at the Bowood Estate. The new hotel, located within the Grade 1 registered landscape will open in late 2008. A key element of the development will be its use of a Biomass system to provide hot water and heating. Wood from the estate will be used in the environmentally friendly wood fuel heating system, which converts energy from wood into heat for water and rooms. We have provided advice on landscape design, planning and the siting of buildings; together with supervision of the initial clearance and setting out works.
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April 2007: Tidy design solves watery problem Stourhead Gardens and House, owned by The National Trust have recently completed improvements to their existing Visitor Centre car parking facilities. The original car park consisted of a gravel access track with the majority of parking taking place on grass. Due to a combination of very high visitor numbers and very poor surface water drainage the site quickly became a quagmire. In conjunction with National Trust Staff, Nicholas Pearson Associates were involved in the design, planning and implementation of the new scheme, which consists of tarmac access routes and gravel parking bays concealing extensive strip soakaways to deal with surface water. The new parking layout responds to the rural context and Grade II registered surrounding parkland by breaking up the formalisation of parking spaces with ornamental planting, diversifying surface materials and incorporating timber fencing and bollards to control traffic. The opening ceremony took place in April.
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March 2007: New Use for Old Quarry The Plymstock Quarry remodelling planning application was successfully delivered last month. This planning application involves the re-shaping of the former Blue Circle cement works and associated 30m deep limestone quarry to form the ground levels and profiles required for the site’s future re-development as a mixed use development. The redevelopment proposals are currently being formulated with NPA providing landscape assessment and design advice. Approximately 1 million cubic metres of rock will have to be blasted or moved to enable this to happen. As part of the application, NPA prepared the landscape chapter for the Environmental Statement (using LSS as a major tool), and co-ordinated a plan for the future management of all the associated historic woodlands and pastures around the remaining parts of the site and the areas of ecological interest.
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February 2007: More rooms to enjoy at Dyffryn St. David's Day (1st March) was celebrated with the opening of the new visitor facilities at Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan, complete with new tea room, shop, car park, and toilets in the East Lodge. The works are part of a substantial Heritage Lottery Funded project to restore the great Edwardian gardens, by Thomas Mawson and Reginald Cory. Nicholas Pearson Associates prepared the Historic Landscape Survey and Restoration Plan in support of an application by the Council to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and resulted in a two phase grant award totalling over £5 million. We have been the Consultant Curator for the landscape restoration works and also produced detail designs for key parts of the project .
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January 2007: Planning application for 'Church Fields', Daventry submitted An outline planning application has been submitted for a major and comprehensive urban extension at Daventry, Northamptonshire, on behalf of Croudace Homes. Nicholas Pearson Associates has been involved with this site, in its various forms for about 15 years, having carried out ecological and landscape appraisals during its promotion through two Local Plans, a Structure Plan, and a Sub Regional Examination in Public. For the planning application itself we have played a major and significant role in the team: comprising assisting with public exhibitions and consultations; coordinating the Environmental Impact Assessment, preparing the Environmental Statement (including the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and Ecological Assessment); coordinating/ preparing the Design and Access Statement; and designing the environmental Master Plan and Green Infrastructure including mitigation and enhancement measures.
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December 2006: Urban extension development granted planning permission by Inspector The Planning Inspectorate has granted planning permission for five planning applications for mixed use and infrastructure development at Newton Abbott, Devon. The Jetty Marsh Planning Inquiry was held in late October and early November after an appeal by our clients WBB Minerals and Arnold White Estates against the lack of determination by the local authority. The mixed use proposals include for housing development, a business park, sports facilities and associated infrastructure. We prepared the landscape assessment and design for the original applications, including a comprehensive masterplan and landscape framework. We also provided EIA advice, which gained the Council's agreement that EIA was not required. Subsequently We prepared landscape evidence and a statement on EIA Screening for the inquiry. The Inspector determined that EIA was not required, which allowed for the resolution of other issues and for the permission to be granted.
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November 2006: Centre for Clinical Excellence, Bath Proposals for a new Centre for Clinical Excellence at Bath have been submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council. The design is a response to the needs of a new generation of smaller facilities balancing the ever more technically advanced clinical departments with the requirements of patient and staff welfare. The approach includes a sensitive and responsive approach to the environment, both in terms of the existing landscape and the creation of more natural and sustainable healing surroundings for patients. The combination of new technology and natural environment formed the basis for the design concept. As part of the multi disciplinary team, led by Foster and Partners, Nicholas Pearson Associates provided the landscape and visual appraisal and landscape design for the proposals. The landscape design sets out to provide a high quality 'healing landscape' and a sheltered, enclosed environment, whilst integrating the proposals into the surrounding landscape. The design features the use of a 'shared use' approach framed by strong planting, a series of planted terraces and green walls and an enclosed courtyard garden for use by patients and staff.
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This year’s company day was loosely themed
around Brunel to mark his 200th anniversary. The activities included
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The day ended with a cast off/harbour cruise in the Matthew. The annual company day is an opportunity for all staff from the Bath and Tiverton offices to join together and complete a variety of educational and fun exercises.
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August 2006: Planning progress for Boscastle The Environment Agency’s plans for flood defences on the River Valency in Boscastle were submitted to North Cornwall District Council in August . The submission covered 3 main planning applications:
The council planning committee held a site meeting in Boscastle
on September 1 to see the locations and proposals at first hand.
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July 2006: University of Bristol Master Plan Adopted as SPD The ambitious master plan for the University of
Bristol’s main precinct has been adopted as a supplementary
planning document (SPD) by Bristol City Council. Nicholas Pearson
Associates provided landscape and ecological advice to the University
as part of multi disciplinary team. The work included the preparation
of detailed townscape and landscape analysis, public realm design
strategies and concepts, as well as proposals for the enhancement
to the historic Royal Fort Gardens.
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June 2006: Royal Opening at Lydiard Park Simon Bonvoisin, Regional Director was introduced to Princess Anne on her recent visit to Lydiard Park to open the Corporate Games. The park, which was once a medieval deer park, is the setting for a Georgian Palladian manor house with landscaped grounds. Both the house and grounds are undergoing a significant period of restoration with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund Award. Nicholas Pearson Associates helped to secure the £4.8 million Award and is the lead consultant for the landscape restoration, including the reinstatement of a lake, repairing the castellated dam wall and restoring the ornamental garden, icehouse, paths and vistas.
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May 2006: Initial Phase of Park Planting Completed For the past few years, Nicholas Pearson Associates has supported the Castlefields Community Pocket Park scheme in Calne, Wiltshire by offering discounted fee rates and additional time. The park comprises new footpaths, landscaping and the partial restoration of a section of canal. The site was an existing area of open space and part of the gardens belonging to Marden House which had become overgrown. The landscape designs include using native plants and water margin plants to improve drainage. The first phase of the community planting has been completed. More information about the project or the support that Nicholas Pearson Associates have provided can be obtained from Paul Jolliffe .
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April 2006: Proposed Urban Extension at Daventry out for public consultation Plans for a major urban extension at Daventry have been unveiled at a public exhibition this month. The outline planning application has proposed approximately 4000 dwellings, four schools, a district centre and two local centres. Nicholas Pearson Associates has co-ordinated the masterplanning and the Environmental Impact Assessment on behalf of the developers, Croudace. In addition we prepared all the presented materials. Additional information regarding the proposed development can be found from dedicated Croudace Churchfields website, linked here. www.churchfieldscroudace.co.uk
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March 2006: Winston Churchill Chance of a Lifetime fellowship bursary Nicholas Pearson Associates director, Trevor Turpin,
has been awarded one of the coveted Winston Churchill Chance of
a Lifetime fellowship bursaries to investigate lessons for
the UK from monsoon climate water management systems. Trevor
will travel to Sri Lanka in the summer to investigate the 2,000
year old techniques of countries which have to deal with drought
and monsoon conditions . The applicability of these systems and
their management to the UK under predicted climate change conditions
will be analysed. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust offers Fellowships to British citizens resident in the UK from all walks of life to gain a better understanding of the lives and cultures of people overseas. Applicants need to demonstrate that their project is feasible, worthwhile and of benefit to their community and to the UK on their return. More information about the work of the T rust can be found on their website www.wcmt.org.uk
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February 2006: Landscape implementation continues at Priory Vale, Swindon Our work at Priory Vale, Swindon, one of the largest Urban Extensions in southern England, is now in its 9th year. We continue to provide landscape and ecological consultancy services across the 260 hectare site, where the circa 5000 dwelling development is in varying stages of completion, having worked on the project throughout the master planning stage. This year advanced treeworks and landscape implementation contracts for five parks and infrastructure planting are underway. Another notable event is the recent adoption of the play areas at Tadpole Park by Swindon Borough Council.
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January 2006: Arnos Vale Awarded £4.8 Million Heritage Lottery Funding Bristol’s Arnos Vale Cemetery has been awarded
a landmark £4.8 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The
Victorian cemetery featured in the BBC's "Restoration"
series and includes a grade II listed park and garden with listed
tombs and chapels within a conservation area. The money will be
used to restore the remainder of the historic buildings, monuments
and parkland, along with the creation of educational, family history
and community facilities. The first phase of the restoration programme
to restore The West Lodge, one of two Grade 2* listed buildings
at the main entrance to the site is now complete and it will officially
reopen as a visitor reception centre in the spring. The cemetery
is also to be part of a pilot for a new scheme from the Department
for Culture, Media and Sport which involves:
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Photomontage
