Council improvement works start at Priory Country Park

Bedford Borough Council have started a number of improvement works around the award winning Priory Country Park, which will encourage visitors to continue to take part in outdoor physical exercise.

Phase one of these works will see the Council upgrade the deteriorating path around the lake area of Priory Country Park to an all-weather tarmac pathway, making the lakeside walk more accessible for people who use buggies and wheelchairs. In addition, the Council is also installing new signage around the Country Park that highlights the various walking routes and their distances.

The second phase of these improvements will see an outdoor gym installed where the labyrinth currently is, which has deteriorated and suffered severe vandalism over the past two years.

The Council has reported that outdoor gyms are becoming increasingly popular with residents. As such, they have identified Priory Country Park as an ideal location for a flagship outdoor gym, due to the high level of footfall and volume of physical exercise already taking place around the park.

Dave Hodgson, Mayor of Bedford Borough, said, "Over the past year, we've seen how important it is to invest in our parks and open spaces. Not only to encourage people to get out and exercise but for their mental wellbeing as well. That is why we're making the walk around the lake at Priory Country Park more accessible and ensuring that it is usable all year round. We've also seen a sharp increase in the number of people using our outdoor gyms for exercise and we want to make sure they have access to a high-quality space that is free to use and available to everyone."

The first phase of these works started on Monday and are anticipated to take up to six weeks. Although minor disruption is expected, this will be limited to ensure that visitors can still use the park while the works are ongoing. Phase two works will begin later this year.