Following the latest Government review into the importance of green spaces for both body and mind, at Hargreaves Land, we’re proud to be working with community groups local to our sites to create and improve access to these unique locations, many of which have historical and ecological importance.
With this in mind, our Glasgow team, which is managing one of the UK’s most innovative regeneration projects, Westfield, has been involved in helping ensure that local footpaths around the site can be maintained and kept open to the public.
We were glad to be able to donate £1,000 to the Cardenden Community Development Forum earlier this year, which has been used to purchase equipment for the maintenance of footpaths in and around the town, some of which lead to our Westfield site, where visitors can begin to enjoy the regeneration of one of Scotland’s largest brownfield sites.
The area around Westfield is host to many assets of local and regional importance to health and wellbeing, including the Lochore Meadows Country Park, the Loch Leven Nature Reserve and many other walks and historical attractions. These provide the local area with a serenity for walkers to enjoy and that attracts a diverse range of flora and fauna. It is hoped that Westfield can soon be added to this list of local attractions for people to enjoy.
Ross MacDonald, Senior Development Surveyor at our Glasgow office, explained: “In addition to incorporating a range of renewable energies that will sustain significant employment in the area, our vision for Westfield is to enhance public access across the site and maximise biodiverse spaces that can bolster people’s health and wellbeing.
“With years of council budget cuts, it has become more challenging for path networks to be maintained and kept open. However, in the local area, hard-working volunteers have come together to help maintain local paths. With the donation from Hargreaves Land, volunteers have been able to purchase vital equipment to make this work easier and which will help keep Cardenden’s local paths open for residents to enjoy.”
Having recently completed phase one of the paths works at Westfield, which has improved access into the site for walkers and cyclists; over the next three to four years ca.10km of paths will be improved or created on-site, forming circular walks around the two waterbodies with information panels setting out the history of the site. The second phase of the paths work is due to commence this summer, which will further enhance access around the site.
This work, alongside enhancing on-site habitats, and woodland creation, forms part of the Westfield Landscape and Ecological Management Plan, produced to provide and protect open spaces as a fundamental part of this significant regeneration project.
To find out more about how Westfield is taking shape, visit hargreavesland.com/projects/westfield, or download our brochure.