Preparatory work will get underway next week on the eagerly awaited £4.3m Queens Gardens refurbishment.
The £4.3m Queens Gardens refurbishment will improve accessibility and visitor flows, deliver structural repairs through rebuilding the perimeter walls, introduce bespoke pieces of public art, improve biodiversity and regenerate a much-loved open space.
The project will make the gardens fit for purpose, futureproofing the space and its ability to host large-scale events. The history of the gardens will be incorporated in its design, reconnecting it with the origins of the space as a former dock.
The first work onsite will see the area being prepared for the project’s contractor to arrive on site in early summer.
This will include the removal of a number of trees from the perimeter of the gardens. These trees are in poor condition, and their roots are causing significant damage to the perimeter walls. The walls will be rebuilt and will include new ramps to improve the accessibility of the gardens.
It is also important that the trees are removed prior to bird nesting season, which runs from March until August each year.
Following the refurbishment, the gardens’ ponds will be able to store rainwater and support flood alleviation during high periods of rainfall.
The trees will be replaced by ones that will improve the park’s biodiversity, as well as bring back trees on the endangered list and introduce prehistoric trees to the area. For every tree removed, three will replace it.
Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for regeneration and economic investment at Hull City Council, said: “The multi-million Queens Garden refurbishment is a key project for the city centre so I’m delighted that we will soon see work beginning on site.
“The new gardens will have improved accessibility and biodiversity, as well as being able to host large-scale events. The plans also include various modern elements, such as the ability for the area to be used for flood alleviation.
“Queens Gardens has always been an important and much-loved space in the city centre, but it is in vital need of investment. The £4.3m refurbishment will create a green, open space that will be fit for purpose and fit for the future.”
The Queens Gardens refurbishment will include the planting of hundreds of trees of various maturity. The replacement tree planting along Guildhall Road will also focus on introducing autumnal colour, which will add seasonal interest to the gardens.
