Lottery cash boost for Lake

Fairhaven Lake and gardens are set for a major restoration project after Fylde Council secured a development grant of £165,500.
Fairhaven LakeFairhaven Lake
Fairhaven Lake

The cash is coming from the Parks for People programme, a joint initiative between the Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Development proposals for the restoration of the Lake’s historic buildings and landscapes will be worked on by the council for the next 18 months and it is hoped work will start in the summer of 2019.

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Centrepiece of the project will be the restoration of the café, the oldest and most historically significant building on site, together with the creation of features including an interpretation hub, new classroom facilities, improved sailing and sports facilities, improvements to the lake and the restoration of historic landscape including the nationally significant Japanese Garden.

Fylde Council leader Coun Sue Fazackerley said: “The award of this grant reflects the effort and skill of the Parks Department at Fylde Council in their preparation of the various bids and the good will of Fylde residents and the volunteer groups in their support for the bids.

Fairhaven is a great local facility, loved by generations of both locals and visitors alike. It desperately needs some TLC and, thanks to the Parks for People grant, will be getting just that.”

Coun Cheryl Little, chairman of Fylde’s tourism and leisure committee and also a Fairhaven ward councillor, added: “I am absolutely thrilled we have been able to secure this funding – it is a well-deserved albeit late Christmas present which will benefit not only Fylde residents but the hundreds of visitors who flock to the lake. Heritage is one of the motivations for many visitors to Fairhaven and will continue to play a significant role in promoting Fylde as a tourist destination.”

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Along with a variety of boats and other leisure pursuits, Fairhaven Lake is also home to Fylde’s Spitfire memorial and a beacon which was last lit last year to mark The Queen’s 90th birthday.

Heritage Lottery Fund chief executive Ros Kerslake said: “Public parks play a vital role in our health and well-being. With this investment from National Lottery players there’s real opportunity for a rejuvenated Fairhaven Lake to deliver huge benefits to the whole community.”

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