Shrovetide garden project set to get the green light from council
PLANS for garden complete with Shrovetide sculptures on an unloved patch of land in the town centre looks set to be approved.
The application, submitted by the not-for-profit community interest company Ashcom, were recommended for approval by Derbyshire Dales District Council’s planning committee at a meeting due to take place last night.
Council officials have given a thumbs-up to the proposal, for the pedestrian area between the library and the former Bargain Buys store, and the grassy area next to the Henmore Brook culvert, which is part of a wider scheme to regenerate Shrovetide Walk.
Councillors were set to make a decision at last night’s meeting, which took place after the News Telegraph went to press.
In a report compiled ahead of the meeting, officers wrote that the project would “enhance this currently underutilised area of open space to the benefit of the local community and the character, history and context of this part of the town”.
The project is said to cost more than £100,000 and will be partly funded by the district council itself, with the rest being raised by Ashcom.
Seating planned for the through-route, which hosts Ashcom’s weekly Thursday market, would be removable so that it could be shifted during Shrovetide each year - avoiding potential damage from the pressure of the crowd and the hug.
Meanwhile, the sculptures installed to commemorate the game would remain in place with Ashcom saying the installations would be “robust” enough to withstand the hug, and they would be positioned centrally so as to leave space for it to pass by.
The application details that a community garden is to be formed on the retained area of grassland in Shrovetide Walk, with a steel archway depicting the game.
A spiral path will provide access to further sculpture “silhouettes” of people playing the game itself, along with seating.
New paving is proposed for the rest of the site, with a new “heart space” within the open part of the walkway including a dial representing elements of Shrovetide football.
The outer ring of the dial will contain the names of the opposing teams, the Up’ards and the Down’ards and the second ring will contain the handprints of previous goal scorers - with the Ashbourne emblem in the centre.
A document submitted with Ashcom’s application says: “Our proposed scheme provides this town centre outdoor space with a beautiful garden which can be enjoyed by the local community.”