WORK on the £360,000 project to refurbish and improve Queen Elizabeth Gardens is set to begin next week (November 19).

The work, which is due to be completed in March, will see the gardens get a new entrance, a rose garden, more flower beds and a new feature display.

Most of its footpaths will also be resurfaced while some of the narrow paths will be widened to allow easier passage and, for the first time, a footpath will lead to and from the children’s play area. Salisbury City Council leader Jo Broom said: “The aim is to provide a more attractive and appealing park for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Other features include “gentle” grass steps and new benches in place of the zig-zag wall, a new woodland trail, fresh planting and improvements to the sensory garden.

City clerk Reg Williams said: “It’s about creating attractive but functional spaces so people can easily meet and move through the park and also, the removal of ‘hidden’ areas, like the area by the medical centre and the footpath running beside the car park, in order to restrict opportunities for antisocial, inappropriate and intimidating behaviour, helping people feel safer in the park.”

The project is the result of a number of years’ work, including a public consultation five years ago, as well as subsequent meetings with councillors, neighbours, interested parties and the Friends of Queen Elizabeth Gardens.