Lever Park Management Plan
Aerial View Background
Lever Park is situated in the Borough of Chorley, on the western edge of the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire.   William Hesketh Lever, the late Lord Leverhulme, renowned for his Sunlight Soap empire, gave the land in trust to the people of Bolton and the public generally.   The Park and the adjoining Rivington Terraced Gardens have deteriorated since his death in 1925, partly due to its proximity to urban areas and increased numbers of visitors.  The area is used in connection with water gathering and thus North West Water inherited the land.  Pauline Roscoe & Associates were appointed as managing agents and co-ordinated the preparation of sensitive and realistic proposals to alleviate the problems. 
Master Plan The Lever Park Management Plan aimed to restore the Terraced Gardens, improve and protect the landscape for the benefit of walkers, horse-riders and cyclists.  The visitors and traffic would be better managed and the existing settlements and wildlife safeguarded. The Plan balanced the need for quiet countryside recreation, whilst maintaining freedom of access.  The proposals protected the essential character of Rivington, the historic buildings, landscape and wildlife and did not include any major new development or commercialisation within the Park or Gardens..
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House Main Features 
  • Restoration of the 40 acre, Grade II Listed Rivington Terraced Gardens 
  • enhancements at Rivington Hall Barn, including a small new information centre, shop, toilets and craft workshops 
  • improvement of footpaths and cycleways, traffic management and the introduction of ‘park and ride’ facilities 
  • use of Lower Rivington Reservoir for watersports  to provide youth training in sailing, canoeing and rowing
  • creation of a visitor centre, the ‘Blue Planet’, outside the Park on derelict land at Rivington Water Treatment Works
  • amendments to the Lever Park Act to extend the Park and provide further protection for the Terraced Gardens
  • setting up a charitable trust to implement the Lever Park Management Plan and manage the estate.
Japanese Garden Rivington Terraced Gardens
The Gardens were established in the early twentieth century by Lord Leverhulme, with initial planning and design by Jonathan Simpson, expanded by Thomas Mawson.  The proposals featured the restoration of listed buildings such as Levers Bridge, the Pigeon Tower, loggias and summer houses in the Italian and Japanese Gardens.  Key areas were proposed for re-instatement, others managed naturally and the remainder retained as wilderness and wildwoods.
Blue Planet Blue Planet
A new visitor centre was proposed to be built on derelict land at the Rivington Water Treatment Works, just outside Lever Park where ecological issues relating to the planet’s greatest natural resource - ‘water’ would be explored.  The centre featured exciting water-powered, interpretative techniques to stimulate young and old to extend their knowledge and understanding of both local and world-wide issues relating to the collection and use of water.
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Business Plan Management & Funding
North West Water agreed to contribute £7.5m, half the cost of the project, to enable the improvements to Lever Park to go ahead.  Grants were sought from funding agencies. Surpluses from the Blue Planet were to be used for the benefit of the Park and North West Water agreed an endowment in principal to substantially increase contributions to the Trust which would be responsible for the future management of Lever Park, Rivington Terraced Gardens and the Blue Planet. 

The Rivington Heritage Trust was established with objectives to conserve, protect, maintain and enhance all aspects of the environment for the benefit of the public.  Its role included the management of Lever Park on a long lease from North West Water with a minimal peppercorn rent being charged, thus giving the land back to the community. The Trust is 'on hold' and local authorities are consulting with NWW on proposals for Rivington and Lever Park.
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Pauline Roscoe & Associates

Heritage and Environmental Management

183 Town Lane  Whittle-le-Woods  Chorley  Lancashire  PR6 8AG  UK

Tel / Fax  01257 260157       Mobile  07944 857741

email  pr@pauline-roscoe.co.uk  

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