A four-wheel drive mobility service will launch at Parc Cefn Onn next year as work on a £660,000 project to conserve the parks heritage and improve access and facilities for visitors reaches completion.
The new ‘Tramper’ service, is the final piece of the “Into the garden and beyond” project, part funded by a £454,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, that has delivered a range of improvements to the Grade 2 listed park in north Cardiff, including:
- a new boardwalk to improve accessibility.
- works to the ponds and waterways.
- improved signage and wayfinding.
- upgraded toilets and disabled changing facilities.
- conservation work to the Summerhouse.
- new interpretation boards exploring the park’s history.
- improvements to the car park.
Purchased by the council in 1944, the park was once a private garden, belonging to Ernest Prosser, Director of the Rhymney Valley Railway.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke-Davies said: “Parc Cefn Onn is a real gem and has long been one of our 16 Green Flag standard parks but as a country park, part of its appeal is its more rugged feel, something that coupled with its steep paths and steps has, until the improvement works, made large sections of the park fairly inaccessible to families with pushchairs and buggies, as well as people with mobility issues.”
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The Trampers are being provided via a partnership with not-for-profit organisation Countryside Mobility Network. Driven by quiet electric motors so that users can still enjoy the peace and quiet of the park, the Trampers are limited to a top-speed of 4mph and will be available for hire on a ‘one-off’ basis or via a low-cost membership plan.
Cllr Burke-Davies added: “When it launches next year, the new tramper service will open up this beautiful park to even more of the community, enabling them to explore its natural beauty, learn about its history, and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of Cardiff’s green spaces.”
Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said: “Spending time outdoors is good for our physical and mental health and wellbeing which is why making green spaces more accessible to a wider range of people is crucial.
“Now, thanks to the funding we have provided Cardiff Council for these improvement works at Parc Cefn Onn, even more people will be able to enjoy and benefit from the stunning landscapes, parks and natural heritage of our capital city both today and in the future.”
