26 November 2021
Heigham Park ‘Permanently Disfigured’
Hard all-weather courts and floodlights have “ruined the central design feature” of the nationally recognised historic Heigham Park and “made the former courts look like a supermarket car park” said councillor Denise Carlo, a former garden history student.
Captain Sandys Winsch designed and laid out the arts and crafts gardens at Heigham Park (1) in the 1920s as an unemployment scheme. The central avenue flanked by grass lined herbaceous borders was designed to draw visitors’ eyes to a pleasing rural composition showing the thatched pavilion framed by lawn courts, trees and yew hedging.
Councillor Denise Carlo said:
“The important view of the thatched pavilion and its green setting from the central avenue has been wrecked by the dominating effect of twelve tall alien floodlights, wire mesh fencing and tarmac surrounds. The former courts look more like a supermarket car park than a bucolic scene.”
Although the council plans to install specially commissioned wrought iron sunflower gates at the entrance to the all-weather courts to screen the tarmac from the main avenue, they will cut off the visual link between the central avenue and lawn courts whilst twelve floodlights will protrude above the yew hedges. Local councillors are also concerned that the powerful floodlights will spoil what is currently a rare dark corner in the city to the detriment of local residents and ecology.
Denise Carlo added:
“It is to the council’s shame that it failed to appreciate and prioritise the heritage of this much-loved historic park. The Council also derided the offer of a local community group to take on the maintenance and running of four grass courts even though the council wants to encourage citizens to take on responsibility for looking after local environmental assets. Heigham Park has been permanently disfigured by the council’s blind pursuit of all-weather courts in this location.”
