Published on:
05
August 2003
Plans to redevelop the walled Garden at what was Alloa House are budding nicely with two public events taking place this month.
The Orchard Partnership Project aims to bring the piece of land in South East Alloa back to life with ambitious plans to:· Restore the glass hothouse· Plant formal gardens· Build a living maze· Restore the central paths, including developing a water feature at the heart of the garden
And the focus for the Orchard is not just on horticulture.
John McDonald, Development Worker for the Partnership said: "We think the walled garden could become a valuable community asset. For that to happen it has to offer something for everyone in the community - children, adults, pet owners, people interested in gardening or the arts or local businesses looking for team building opportunities. The Orchard aims to provide all of this and more."
The ambitious plans also include a proposed:· Community café· Training venue with workshop units· Adventure area· Shop· Heritage and information centre· Children's play area Now two public events will take place on August 14th and 30th to encourage local involvement.
On the 14th between 2pm and 4pm and then 5pm to 7pm, Hawkhill Community Centre will host a drop-in to look at the Orchard. 99 people have already registered an interest in the scheme and they will receive a special invitation to the event. The aim is to recruit people who wish to become actively involved as volunteers in the project. Members of the public are welcome to come along.
But the main focus is the August 30th event which takes place at the Orchard site itself, starting at 1pm.
The Architects behind the scheme will unveil a 3D presentation to show the project in more detail. Several stalls will also be set up, some to say more about the people involved in the scheme, others selling healthy food options.
And to keep the children happy there will be lots of games and fun - including face painting and a bouncy castle.
Peter Russell and Carol Strang, two local artists, are working on an interactive project to gather people's views on the day. The project could involve a video diary type scenario to record opinion - or graffiti boards to let people write down what they want from the Orchard. All will be revealed on the day…
"The plans we have are all based on what the community and local organisations have told us," added John. "We have organised these two events to let people see the plans in more detail and let us know if it is still what they want or if there is anything else we can do. I hope as many people as possible come along."