DAISY PARK - HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

During August 2021 over 200 community members visited open drop in sessions to look at photographs of the existing Brickworks area, gain an understanding of opportunities and discuss ideas of what they would like to see in the future developed Daisy Park. Community members were also sent a copy of the prepared brochure and many emailed responses.

Having learned during the Auldcathie Consultation 4 years ago from older members of the community that the Brickworks upper fields were nicknamed ‘Daisy Park ‘by children who made daisy chains while waiting for parents to finish work, it seem appropriate to name the new park ‘Daisy Park‘ to reflect the history and heritage of the area and bring it to life.

An early framework was shown to the community to help provide context to topography, areas of wilderness, scale of the park, its ecological setting and protective constraints and important connections to the wider community and how the water was proposed to be opened up and managed by a water sports company.

Daisy Park will be constructed in the land surrounding the claypit, an important element of Winchburgh’s industrial heritage. The park will provide the interface between the different areas of the community and an important new frontage to the Union Canal. The relationship of the park to the railway line, proposed station and core road link to the M9 may also mean that it will provide some of the first impressions of Winchburgh to visitors to the town.

The quality and design of the park is therefore of paramount importance to the character and identity of Winchburgh. It is envisaged that it will be popular with visitors and not just residents of Winchburgh, becoming an attraction that people will come to visit with the Union Canal, town centre amenities and experience Wild Shore Winchburgh (a 5 star water-based adventure company) that will offer a number of unique activities within the claypit at Daisy Park.

The park provides a meeting space at the centre of Winchburgh, it’s at the heart of the community located immediately adjacent to the Union Canal it provides connections to the tow-path (National Cycle Network) via a network of new paths that cross the park connecting the Main Street, the new town centre including new marina and Core Road to the north. Importantly as a meeting space for the community it will also include a cafe, car parking and public toilets.

The daisy conversations were very creative, yet very reflective and thoughtful on so many levels. The community is now made up of those who grew up with the old brickworks buildings as a play ground, old rubble and dirt; those who saw it being emptied 20 years ago and those who have watched it rewild itself along with the stories of the fish being taken from the canal into the clay pit and thriving along with many swimming in it over the years.

There are those also who have recently moved to Winchburgh who had never been to the area or explored it so it was useful to explain it’s history as an old industrial site which has since the approved Masterplan has been earmarked to become new vibrant central town park and create an exciting environment in the heart of the village for all to enjoy.

This process and the collated comments shown below have all helped shape the designs now being put forward and we hope you see the reflections of your comments and how our team have listened to what is important to you all to see in the new Daisy park.

The overriding comments which came forward was the impact COVID had on how people saw the greenspaces around them, what they had enjoyed on their daily walks, what they now appreciated in their environment, importance of biodiversity, places to sit peacefully and reflective spaces for well-being. A renewed appreciation for the benefits of community greenspaces has certainly come about throughout the country, not just in Winchburgh.

What we have seen is these comments and refection have brought about quite a few changes to the original masterplan thinking for Daisy Park.

Key themes and messages coming forward have helped us evolve the park areas to reflect ideas so visitors go on a ‘journey through the park’ which is all helped by the topography and much of the ecological areas which have to be retained for wildlife corridors and for ecological reasons.

The ‘journey through the park’ provide experiences of the history and heritage, peace and tranquillity, wilderness and diversity, learning and play along with active play and water fun.

We had many ideas and we hope most of these overall themes have been fully embedded in the designs and below shows how some of these have become keys areas on the park…of course embedding daisies in all areas reflecting its heritage and local memories alive for ever.