Once in a LIFETIME

Hampshire’s country parks are receiving millions in funding to ensure their continuing survival

“A once in a lifetime investment” is how Jo Heath, head of countryside at Hampshire County Council, describes the ongoing transformation of our largest country parks.

The benefits of the £19.5m investment are already being felt across the county, as visitor numbers leap up. And there is still more work going on well into 2021.

At the heart of the project is a desire not only to keep these spaces open to the public, but also to make them self-sustainable. Money has been spent on improving car parks, replacing honesty boxes with automatic number plate recognition and security barriers. As a result parking ticket compliance soared from 64 per cent in Lepe Country Park to 98 per cent. And at the other end of the scale a £3.5m project – jointly funded with the National Heritage Lottery – has restored the Grade II listed former Netley Hospital Chapel at the heart of the Royal Victoria Country Park into a museum and visitor’s centre with its own café facilities.

“Our country parks are incredibly important,” says Councillor Seán Woodward, executive member for recreation and heritage for Hampshire County Council. “Hampshire is mainly a green county, full of beautiful countryside, but it’s not the case everywhere. In Havant, near Staunton Country Park, is some of the most deprived housing in England. The countryside and access to it is very important for the county council. The country parks are jewels in that crown of preservation of country space. The county council had a policy for many years of acquisition of land not necessarily for housing but to keep it for future generations to enjoy.”