At a recent meeting of the South Cliff Community Group it was announced that the first round of works for the Saving South Cliff Gardens project has been brought forward.
The works will reduce the number and height of trees across the gardens and will now begin in October 2019. In particular the views from the Esplanade will be much improved. So we should see some significant changes to the gardens quite soon.
[Update: now planned to begin in November 2019.]
Decisions about this will have been based on one of the project’s major planning documents – the Conservation Management Plan. Here’s part of this:
“Prior to the growth of vegetation on the upper garden slopes, panoramic views would have been available along almost the full length of the Esplanade.
From the first garden layout by Knowles prior to 1840 and then in the subsequent work of Joseph Paxton, views and vistas were key elements in the design and appreciation of the gardens. Many are far reaching out to sea and the Scarborough Castle headland and have been captured by a variety of artists; other views were intimate and contained within the gardens. Unmanaged woodland growth has obscured many of these designed and publically renowned views in the last 50 years and management work is required to both restore lost views and maintain designed planting schemes.”
And here’s a plan showing the important views under consideration:
