Work starts on Wellingborough's newest 44-acre park

Work has started on the new 44-acre town park at Wellingborough' s £1bn Stanton Cross estate development.

Scheduled to be complete in spring this year, the town park will be open parkland and will feature a 'neighbourhood equipped area for play' area as well as walking and cycleways.

Space has been left for outdoor sporting activities and so it can act as a venue for community events.

Lee Barrett, divisional operations director for Vistry Group and a representative of Stanton Cross Developments LLP, said: “Along with the neighbouring Grange Park completed early this year and the future development of the country park, the town park is set to be an important landmark at the heart of Stanton Cross – a vast area of green infrastructure that will not only provide multi-functional recreational space, but will also contribute to the ‘sense of place’ that is becoming established at the development.

“With more than 300 homes now occupied at Stanton Cross, the new community here is flourishing and we are delighted to be focused on the delivery of the principal green space at the development.

"The town park has been sympathetically designed to complement and connect with the existing landscape and it will provide space for local people space to meet, relax and play, while also protecting and creating habitats for wildlife.

"We are looking forward to opening up the park when works are complete so the community can enjoy all it has to offer."

A mixture of native and ornamental planting has been planned with a selection of mature trees planted, including the focal point silver maple tree that boasts blue-red hues in spring, turning a vibrant yellow in autumn.

The town park is positioned adjacent to the 71-acre country park, which is expected to open to the public later in 2023. The country park will have a more naturalistic feel with informal green spaces, open and accessible areas of grassland, and a further play area.

To make the most of the River Ise that runs north to south through and alongside both parks, low-level river crossings will be created to provide greater accessibility for the local community.

A network of footpaths and cycle routes will also maximise the parks’ riverside position, while also connecting them to the wider development and providing links to Wellingborough’s green corridor.