Improvements for park and town centre

Published: Thu 17th October, 2024

  • Queen's Park, Loughborough

A £1 million package of improvements will be made in Loughborough town centre and Queen’s Park over the coming months.

The work will improve footpaths and drainage in the park, upgrade the electrical infrastructure to better support events, as well as improving and adding lighting. Two gateways to the park will also be improved and information boards added.

It also includes upgrading the lighting of the iconic Carillon Tower so it can be better lit to mark important events such as Remembrance.

Most of the work, being carried out by Charnwood Borough Council, is being funded by Loughborough Town Deal, which secured £16.9 million of Government funding to back 11 projects which are bringing over £40 million of investment into Loughborough.

It does mean there will be some disruption in the park and town centre in the coming months, but any inconvenience will be kept to a minimum.

Chris Grace, head of economic development and regeneration for the Council, said “We are pleased to be able to invest in the park and town centre thanks to the support of Loughborough Town Deal through the Council’s Living Loughborough project.

“While some of the work will not be obvious to residents, it is significant, and will support events in the town and parks for many years to come.

“It does mean that over the winter there will be work taking place in the park and town centre, so we would ask people to bear with us. There may be some minor inconvenience and we may need to set up a compound in the park.

“However, by the spring the work will be completed and the town centre and park will be much improved."

Martin Traynor OBE, chair of Loughborough Town Deal Board, said: “It’s great to see work like this taking place, as they will have lasting benefits for the town and its residents.

“The Town Deal projects are continuing to make a difference to Loughborough.”

The work in the park and town centre includes:

  • Improved and additional lighting to walkways in Queen’s Park
  • New power supplies to the bandstand in Queen’s Park and to support events in the park
  • Reinstatement of coloured flood lighting to illuminate the Carillon Tower
  • improved drainage and resurfacing of all pathways in the park
  • Improvements to the park entrances at Granby Street and from Granby Street car park
  • Additional information boards added to the park
  • In the town centre, the electrical infrastructure is being improved to support the markets and events
  • In Bleach Yard, lighting is being added and the street dressing improved to better link the park and town centre

The work is being funded by around £800,000 from Loughborough Town Deal and the Council is contributing around £200,000.

Loughborough Town Deal has already delivered a careers and enterprise hub, regenerated part of the town centre and supported the expansion of SportPark. Recently John Taylor and Co Bellfoundry reopened after a significant revamp and other projects are underway or have also been completed.

For more information about Loughborough Town Deal, visit: www.loughboroughtowndeal.co.uk.