Contract G F Tomlinson has delivered the first stage of works as part of a masterplan to reinvigorate the historic Tower Gardens in Skegness.

On behalf of Skegness Town Council who are developing the site with Heritage Lincolnshire through SCAPE's Regional Construction Framework, G F Tomlinson worked alongside Influence Planning and Design and Gleeds to complete the £590,000 initial phase.

The completion of the project was marked with a ‘ribbon cutting’ ceremony earlier this month, with Deputy Town Mayor, Councillor Jimmy Brookes, Town Clerk, Steve Larner and G F Tomlinson’s Framework Manager for SCAPE, Craig Stopper, in attendance, along with local councillors and representatives from Heritage Lincolnshire, Influence and Gleeds.

The first stage of the Tower Gardens Masterplan formed part of the Towns Fund Grant Scheme and was safely delivered whilst the park remained open to the public, ensuring availability for continued use of the amenities with minimal disruption.

Landmark works included the refurbishment of the pond and its perimeter railings as well as the reinstatement of the pond pump, together with enhancements to overall accessibility through the re-levelling of the land and re-routing of footpaths. A specialised sensory area was created around the bandstand of the historic site for the local community to enjoy, where planting by the project team and members of the local community was undertaken as part of a community planting day held in March.

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The enhancement works will ensure that Tower Gardens continues to provide a valuable and accessible central space for Skegness residents to enjoy, bringing people together for community events and outdoor activities.

In support of the local community, G F Tomlinson sourced 58% of its labour for the scheme from within a 40-mile radius of the site, providing local job opportunities for the region. Alongside this over 99% of construction waste for the project was diverted from landfill, reducing the environmental impact on the community.

G F Tomlinson has a long-standing relationship with Skegness Town Council having previously delivered the Tower Gardens Pavilion back in 2020. The Pavilion was also delivered under SCAPE’s Regional Construction Framework and the scheme received the Best Project accolade in the Leisure category at the East Midlands Regional RICS Social Impact Awards.

Adrian Grocock, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: "It has been a pleasure to be working alongside our long-term client, Skegness Town Council, once again to bring the first phase of the vision for the Tower Gardens landscape renovations to life, reinvigorating a historical central landmark so that residents can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

"The scheme fully compliments our earlier project on the Tower Gardens Pavilion. The team and all suppliers have worked exceptionally well together to overcome operational and design challenges in a fully collaborative environment, delivering enhancement works that will benefit the town for many years to come."