Two new green-roofed shelters have been officially unveiled at a popular Nottinghamshire country park.
They have been erected at Cotgrave Country Park as part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s commitment to providing high-quality green spaces and a covered area that can be used by visiting schools, groups, and other visitors to the park.
The county council, which owns and manages the park, has funded work to build the structures via its Green Investment Fund and has worked with the Friends of Cotgrave Country Park to deliver the community-boosting project.
County Council Chairman and local divisional member, Councillor Richard Butler, and Councillor John Cottee, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, joined volunteers from the Friends of Cotgrave Country Park at a special unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, 29 January.
Cllr Butler had proposed the project to benefit from Green Investment Funding, and he said: “As the county councillor for the area, I was delighted to attend the official unveiling of the shelters at Cotgrave Country Park, and I am sure they will prove extremely popular with families, schools, and community groups—especially during the warmer summer months.
“It is great to see money from the Green Investment Fund being used for such a worthwhile project, which will benefit everyone who visits this fantastic green space.
“I would like to thank the volunteers from the excellent Friends of Cotgrave Country Park, who have worked tirelessly with our officers to bring this fantastic project to fruition.
“Cotgrave Country Park has so much to offer, and I would encourage anybody who lives in the area to come and explore and enjoy the beautiful green surroundings, which are home to a variety of species.”
The shelters are steel-framed, timber-clad, open-sided structures with a sedum roof and bug hotel panels to benefit pollinators and other insects.
So far, £27,495 of a £50,000 funding pot has been spent on the two shelters and associated groundworks, such as creating concrete bases for the structures and a path, as well as installing new fencing.
The remaining £15,155 is expected to be used to complete landscaping works in and around the area occupied by the shelters in the coming months.
Cllr Cottee said the shelters would further improve the visitor experience and are ideal for schools to use for educational projects.
He said: “As a council, we know how important green spaces like this are to Nottinghamshire residents, and that is why I am delighted the shelters are now in place for everyone to enjoy in a picturesque setting.
“They are in a fantastic spot, and I’m sure they will prove to be a huge hit with families and community organisations, as well as schools that will be able to use them to help children learn more about nature and environmental projects.
“This project is part of our commitment to providing high-quality green spaces to promote health, wellbeing, and recreational opportunities.”
Alan Holmes, Chairman of the Friends of Cotgrave Country Park, thanked the county council for providing the support to deliver a ‘wonderful’ community asset.
He said: “The Friends of Cotgrave Country Park are delighted to have these new ‘living roof’ shelters in our park.
“They represent another collaboration between ourselves and Nottinghamshire County Council that has delivered a wonderful asset for the whole community, which will be enjoyed for years to come.
“We are grateful for the investment in our park and look forward to a number of further projects in the years to come.”
For more information about the Green Investment Fund and the county council’s work to reach its carbon-neutral targets, visit Climate Change.
Any school or community group that would like to access the space should contact Nottinghamshire County Council’s Green Spaces team by emailing Greenspaces@nottscc.gov.uk.
