Park plan workmen dig in

The ten men clearing part of Hotham Park form the vanguard of a workforce which will transform the overgrown area.

They are in their third week of getting rid of the reminders of the run-down Rainbow's End theme park. This is the first stage of the scheme to enable that two hectare section to be opened to the public to freely walk around for the first time in more than four decades.

But the work has been slightly slowed because a number of needles, believed to be in double figures, has been found in the undergrowth.

Fenced-off Rainbow's End has been derelict for nine years after the last customers went in during the summer of 1997.

An update of the work's early days was given to the Hotham Park working party of Arun District Council last week.

Arun's Hotham Park project manager Rachel Alderson said the contractor, UPM Tilhill, officially started in the park on October 23.

She said: 'The initial site set-up has involved clearing the area for the contractor's compound, setting up welfare facilities, erecting security fencing and carrying out a hygiene sweep of Rainbow's End.

'During the next few weeks there will be increased activity in the park. Vegetation clearance in Rainbow's End has started and tree removal will follow next week. Tree removal is expected to commence in the rest of the park by mid-November.

'Work will also start shortly on the lodge and clock tower as well as clearance around the boating pond.'

The restoration work is expected to last until the end of next June. It also involves drainage improvements, shrub thinning, new fencing, gates and walls and removing the fountain near Hotham Park House.

But the timetable is subject to change because of the weather.

The park will stay open to the public throughout the restoration but areas will be fenced off.

Some of the restrictions will be for safety reasons. Others will ensure that newly planted shrubs and grass have time to become established until late next September. A total of 800 trees are being planted and 250 coming out.

Mrs Alderson said: 'It's possible that Rainbow's End will be handed back to the council at the end of May or early June in spite of large areas of grass being fenced off.'

The restoration's aim is to return to the park to its appearance and style of 1912 when it was still the private grounds of Hotham Park House '“ the home of modern Bognor's founder, Sir Richard Hotham.

n The clearance work at Rainbow's End has uncovered evidence of its former role as Zootopia. The 6ft deep moat around the bear pen used to house three of the creatures in the early 80s has been found around what was most recently used as the Big Top.