Friends of Preston Park

You may have noticed the new wildflower border along the slip road at the north end of the park. As you can see from the picture, the flowers are looking beautiful. Congratulations to the park staff!

Dear All

The recent consultation on the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders to control parking in Preston Park closed on 27th March 2012 and all comments and objections were presented to the Cabinet Members and a full report with recommendations was presented to the council’s Environment Transport and Sustainability Cabinet Meeting on 4th May 2012. Minutes of the meeting will be available from Democratic Services on the Council Meetings webpage shortly.

The recommendations were supported by the council at this meeting, although as agreed in December 2011, they will be formally reviewed 6 months after implementation.

The proposals to be implemented are to control parking in Preston Park from late June 2012. Parking will be restricted to two pay and display zones. Parking restrictions will be enforced between the hours of 9am and 6pm when the pay and display tariff will be;

Up to one hour 50p / Up to two hours £1 / Up to three hours £2 / Up to six hours £3

Charges are lower than on street parking charges and there will be additional disabled parking for Blue Badge holders which is free of charge.

Parking will be limited to two areas of the park, known as The Gallop and The Ride. All other areas of the park, with the exception of some disabled parking bays, will be pedestrian only zones.

If you are planning an event or have one already planned you will need to make special arrangements to suspend enforcement if vehicles need to be parked onsite in relation to the event, you can do this through the normal Events application procedure.

If you have any queries relating to an event you have planned we will endeavour to answer your query as quickly as possible.

Best regards

Fiona Stokes

Parks Project Officer, City Infrastructure

Brighton & Hove City Council, Projects and Contracts Office, Hollingdean Depot, Upper Hollingdean Road, Brighton BN1 7GA

When and where: Sunday 20 May, from 10am-1pm by the Harvest vegetable garden in Preston Park (behind the Rotunda Cafe).

Come and swap or buy seedlings for your garden! Have you got some spare seedlings you’d like to swap for some new and different varieties? Or perhaps you had the best intentions to sow some seeds but just didn’t get around to it? Join us for the swap, plus family-friendly activities by our vegetable garden in Preston Park.

Many of the vegetable seedlings provided by the Brighton & Hove Organic Gardening Group will be organic, and we will also have a limited number of English variety grape vines donated by Plumpton College’s wine department.

This event is organised jointly by the Food Partnership’s Harvest project and BHOGG (Brighton & Hove Organic Gardening Group). Part of the Brighton Festival Fringe.

For more information look online here or call 01273 431700.

Join us in celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee! We’re holding a Picnic-in-the-Park on Saturday 2 June from 12 to 3pm in Preston Park. We’d love to see you there.

There will be:

• A brass band with music from a combination of Patcham Silver Band and the Mid Sussex Brass Band
• Free fun and games for children provided by Spots and Stripes
• A bouncy slide
• Free face-painting

You are also challenged to make and wear a crown for the event. A prize will be given for the best adult and the best children’s crown.

Bring your own picnic and enjoy each other’s company. Don’t forget to bring something to rest your BBQ on if you’re having one and take your litter away with you, or use the bins.

If you’re not within walking distance, busses 5, 5a and 5b stop by the park.

We really hope you can come!

This short video, from British Pathe News for 1931, has Captain MacLaren talking about the planting of tulips in Preston park and along the sea front.

On Friday 27 April the Friends of Preston Park attended an event to mark the completion of work on the cascades in the rock garden. In blazing sunshine the Deputy Mayor, Geoff Wells, local councillors, volunteer gardeners and even schoolchildren who helped on the project were there. Also present were, of course, the park staff, including rock garden manager Andy Jeavons and Park Ranger Manager Garry Meyer, whose hard work and determination made the repairs possible. The cascades looked really beautiful but sadly it was thought politic to switch off the cascades until the end of the current water restrictions. We’ll look forward to seeing the cascades in action again.

Garry Meyer, Park Ranger for Preston Park has had a well-deserved promotion and will no longer be our Park Ranger. Without Garry’s help the Friends of Preston Park couldn’t have started or continued to today’s status. He has enabled, supported and attended every event and been diplomatic and encouraging at our meetings. Our thanks to you Garry.