In December 2023, the East Cliff and Springbourne Ward Councillors in conjunction with the Friends of Knyveton Gardens, were awarded £50,000 from the Neighbourhood CIL fund for enhancements to Knyveton Gardens, including improvements to play, access and signage.

These were delivered by BCP Council in consultation with the Ward Councillors and Friends group.

Several informal community engagement sessions were held during the summer of 2024 to help determine priorities for the park.

April 2026

The old bowls green has become a space for quiet recreation – Knyveton Meadow.

The old bowls infrastructure has been removed, the area tidied, new signs added to the gates and three new native trees have been planted to enhance wildlife.

This work concludes the enhancements at Knyveton Gardens. Thank you to everyone who participated in community engagement sessions and shared their ideas for this project.

November 2025 update

All the existing seats within the park have now been refurbished. The nature trail carved posts, with interpretation panels on the back, were installed during October.

Native spring flowering bulbs will be planted under the trees along the Southcote Road frontage during the autumn.

We are also looking at improving the old bowls green, which is no longer used by the Bowls Club, and possibly adding CCTV to the sensory garden area.

September update

The new play area was finished and opened during August.

A new solar lighting column has been added to the sensory garden to help improve security in that area at night. Some of the seats near the tennis courts have been refurbished and others around the park are due to be painted over the next few months. The nature trail is also due to be installed during the autumn.

The Friends Group have been busy over the summer clearing, tidying and generally making the park look and feel better.

May update

The new entrance signs have been installed.

Taking on board comments made during the community engagement sessions in 2024, as well as those from the Friends Group, we have developed a proposal to re-use the pétanque area for extra play.

This will include a table tennis table, three play panels with games, somersault bars and hopscotch. The whole area will be re-surfaced with a bound rubber mulch safety surface. It is hoped that this will be a space that people of all ages can enjoy – see below for an illustrative image. This work should be carried out during summer 2025.

March 2025 update

During January and February, a lot of the existing vegetation was cut back by BCP Council’s Operations Team, especially to the park perimeter and around the sensory garden. This has helped improve visibility into the park, aiming to deter anti-social behaviour. We have also been looking at options to improve the lighting in the sensory garden.

During March we will be starting some work including:

• Replacing the old entrance signs with new, to tie in with the new style of welcome signage across other parks
• Adding a gate to the access path to the shed which is being used by the Friends Group
• Relocating the old noticeboard so it can be used to provide information about events in the park
• Infilling part of the Frances Road boundary with new railings where there is a gap
• Removing the old broken seats from near the bowls green to tidy this area