Countdown To Public Consultation Process 

21/12/2005: 

Five of the leading landscape architectural companies in Europe have been asked to produce state of the art designs for a new world-class Douglas Bader Community Garden in Cupar.

The non-profit making group aiming to transform the vandal-hit garden in Cupar into a leading tourist attraction and Enabling Garden has begun a competitive tendering process, which will ultimately lead to the general public deciding on the future make-up of the facility.

In partnership with Fife Council, RAF, Elmwood College and other local organisations, the Friends of the Douglas Bader Memorial Garden group has now drawn up a schedule that could see work at the new Duffus Park garden start in the first half of 2007.

The five companies picked to develop proposals for the transformed garden, which will be fully wheelchair accessible and capable of sustaining an innovative volunteer gardener scheme, are all well-known landscape architect companies.

EDAW Europe have over 1200 personnel in 25 offices around the world, and have worked for clients as diverse as The Prince’s Foundation and the Scottish Executive. Edinburgh-based Ironside Farrar Ltd have won a host of environmental awards for their designs, while Land Use Consultants were heavily involved in the successful design of the £86 m. Eden Project in Cornwell.

Scot Wilson have staff in over 80 countries, and were chosen by Fife Council to prepare designs for the upgrade of the Bruce Embankment beside the Old Course, St Andrews. TGP Landscape Architects, based in Glasgow, have over 20 years experience in the private and public sectors and have been heavily involved the proposed regeneration of Sunderland’s River Wear frontage into a 21 st century park.

All five firms have been given an initial deadline of mid-February 2006 to produce plans for the new garden in sketch format, after which three of the designs will be chosen to form part of an extensive public consultation process.

Friends of the Douglas Bader Memorial Garden spokesman Andrew Gold, from Cupar, said: “All three designs will feature on an information leaflet to will be distributed to every address in the KY15 postcode area.

Public Events

“We will also hold public events and ask other interested parties, including special needs groups, for comments so that we can choose the best design possible.

“Everyone will get the opportunity to comment on the garden designs in what could be the largest direct public consultation of its type ever held in Scotland by a community group.

“This is not a gimmick, as we want genuine feedback and advice from the very many people who have already backed our campaign and will eventually be the users of the facility.”

The Friends group, which has already raised over £20,000, plans to announce the name of the successful designer in May next year at an event in Cupar to be attended by Sir Douglas’s widow, Lader Bader, OBE.

Spokesman Andrew Gold continued: “Our estimated first year target figure of 10,000 visitors would provide a much-required boost to local businesses and restore civic pride to locals who have shown they are immensely proud of the Douglas Bader link.

“From day one, our group’s goal has been to achieve a first rate community facility which is sustainable in the long run and puts Cupar on the map.

“Due to the fact the garden is named after Sir Douglas, a war hero and icon for the disabled, we have already attracted interest from all over the world.

“This is because we are trying to do something new in merging therapeutic gardening with a volunteer scheme in the midst of a garden serving as a tourist attraction in its own right.”

Bader Memorial Garden information can be found via www.dbcg.org.uk, or by contacting Susan Blake on 01334 652700.

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