A petition has been launched this week to assess public support for a £670,000 project to regenerate Burnham-On-Sea’s Marine Cove gardens.
In March, Sedgemoor District Council made a submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Parks For People’ programme to restore the seafront gardens.
The bid totalled over £670,000 and covers bringing back lost features – such as a sundial, water fountain and several benches – plus restoring the shelters, funding towards the recruitment of a ranger to cover parks in Burnham, improving standards of maintenance and a budget for a programme of small scale events.
The petition has been launched on the official Number 10 Downing Street Website here and simply calls on the Prime Minister to “save Marine Cove Gardens”.
The district council’s Harley Cook, who set up the petition, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Sedgemoor District Council has worked with the town council and other key stakeholders to put the bid together but we need your support to help us show the lottery board that people want to see the gardens restored.”
In very recent times the shelters at the front of the gardens have fallen into such a state of disrepair that they have been boarded up to prevent further deterioration whilst funding is sought to restore them. The full plans for the gardens can be seen online here.
.MARINE COVE GARDENS HISTORY
The Marine Cove site was part of the Old Vicarage Estate until its sale in 1922 to a private company, Burnham-On-Sea Attractions Limited.
The company thereby prevented the land from being developed for housing, and tried unsuccessfully to sell on the site to the Council.
At a special meeting in December 1925, it was unanimously decided to accept with thanks the offer of Marine Lawn by Attractions Limited to be developed as a pleasure cove.
In April 1926 the land was formally gifted to the Urban District Council and the gardens were officially opened in 1927 by J B Braithwaite.
