Path resurfacing works improve access at Tumbledown community project

People visiting Tumbledown community project in Weymouth will benefit from improved access across the site. 

Thanks to a partnership between Weymouth Town Council, dedicated volunteers, Dorset Council highways team and Hanson UK, the main zig-zig paths which snake through the site have been resurfaced.  

Around 60 tonnes of planings, which are the remnants from a nearby Dorset Council cycleway scheme at Radipole Park Drive were donated to Tumbledown. The planings were milled on site and then compacted to form a solid permeable surface for wheelchair-users and pedestrians to use. 

Since acquiring the former farmland and buildings, the town council has been busy transforming Tumbledown into a community asset. From the food which is grown on site for the local veg box scheme to the community grow spaces which are available for charities and community groups to grow crops. This is a place which provides opportunities for people to improve their health and well-being, enjoy being out in nature and working the land.  

School children, parents and carers also enjoy visiting the forest school facility on site, and there is an active Tumbledown friends’ group who regularly run events and take part in volunteering opportunities where people can learn all sorts of new skills.  

Cllr Jon Orrell, Weymouth Town Council’s spokesperson for Tumbledown, said: “My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has worked on the access paths, from the volunteers who carved out the initial zig-zags through the fields, to the crews who did the resurfacing works. This has provided greater accessibility for all and reduces the water run-off from the fields and is another great step forward in transforming the old farm into a unique place for the benefit of many in the local community.” 

Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, added: “We’re pleased to be able to support this community project, which helps promote health and well-being, as well as offering opportunities for residents to try new things and learn new skills. 

“We have a good record of recycling planings from our resurfacing schemes, usually by selling them to local landowners for use on private tracks or reusing them in our own schemes, preventing this waste from going into landfill.” 

Want to get involved in Tumbledown? 

We have some Community Grow Space plots available this year for community groups to grow vegetables and fruits. For more details, contact Clive Tuck, Tumbledown Development Project Manager at clivetuck@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk 

For more information on Tumbledown visit our website.  

For the latest information on events, or to join the Tumbledown friends’ group visit the Facebook page Tumbledown Community Project | Facebook 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

The latest information and updates from Weymouth Town Council can be found on the website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.