The football pitches on Preston’s Moor Park are getting an upgrade – thanks to silt removed from the lake on the site.
The Grade II-listed green space is currently undergoing a £4m transformation, centred around the remodelling and extension of the Serpentine Lake.
However, a much wider area – extending towards the Deepdale Road side of the park – has been cordoned off and dug up to enable the remediation of the playing pitches.
That work was always planned as part of the overall project, but the Local Democracy Reporting Service can reveal that it is being carried out using sediment dredged from the lake.
The material is being deposited in the area usually occupied by the football pitches in order to make the surfaces more level. It is hoped that the silt will also help improve drainage in that part of the park.
The newly-levelled playing areas will then be covered with top soil before being fully reinstated.
The re-use of the sediment within the park also means it will not have to be removed from the site and taken for disposal elsewhere.
The lake – which is at least two centuries old – has been drained and dredged in preparation for its enlargement. New fountains will be installed and a long-forgotten bridge across the water will make a return. The 26-metre structure will replicate the route of a previous crossing and feature a steel lattice framework and timber deckboards.
Elsewhere, the ‘loggia’ outdoor gallery space – which is covered, but open to the elements – will be refurbished and its setting within the park enhanced. A new cast iron fence will run along the edge of the loggia area to act as a safety barrier for the lake.
New wildflower meadows will be created and additional trees and shrubs planted, while the park’s play area and sports pavilion will also be improved, along with the south‑east entrance and car park.
The package of works will take until the winter to complete. The rest of the park remains open to the public for the duration of the project.
The revamp is one of the schemes being funded using a share of Preston’s £20m allocation from the last government’s Levelling Up Fund.
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