Local company, Moore Earthworks Services from Leicester Forest East, has been appointed to plant 188,000 sq m of wildflower meadows and 39,000 trees, shrubs and bulbs are being across three new parks at the New Lubbesthorpe development.
The extensive programme will also deliver new footpaths, benches, picnic areas, cycling facilities, bat and bird boxes, and is expected to complete by the end of the year. Residents are asked to respect the areas that will be closed for the heavy machinery while this work is underway.
This first phase of 46 acres of parkland will provide a range of biodiversity opportunities, as well as green space for the local community to enjoy. There has been a focus on native species including birch, oak, acer, crab apple and cherry trees, providing a range of interest over the seasons.
A second children’s play area has also opened offering a wide range of equipment for all ages, alongside a multi-use games area for 5-a-side football, basketball and other sports. Within the next phase a new leisure facility and all-weather pitches are also planned.
Martin Ward, on behalf of the New Lubbesthorpe landowners Drummond Estate, explains: “It has always been our aspiration to set New Lubbesthorpe within a fantastic green environment. Almost half of the site, some 325 acres, will provide woodlands, parks, ponds, nature areas, walking and cycling routes, as well as recreational space for all to enjoy.
“We are also planning to deliver a variety of exercise and play equipment across the parkland next year, including an outdoor gym to help people stay fit and healthy while the enjoy the outdoor space, something that has become all the more important during the pandemic.”
The green space at New Lubbesthorpe is managed by the Land Trust charity on behalf of the Drummond Estate. The Land Trust delivers sustainable management of the open space for the benefit of the local community, improving management and biodiversity as well as increasing participation in outdoor activities.
The locally based Land Trust team deliver vocational outdoor education and training opportunities, involve local people in volunteering and will implement a programme of events within the new parks as they emerge on site, all helping to improve the natural environment and provide benefits for local people.
The New Lubbesthorpe development continues to make great progress with the first primary school open and some 620 homes now complete. Ultimately the development will deliver up to 4,250 houses, an employment park capable of creating 1,000 jobs, and a range of community facilities including three schools, shops, leisure, sports and health provision.
