Opening the gates to easier access at Ouzel Valley Park in Milton Keynes

The improvements reduce the total number of gates, with two cattle grids removed to provide longer stretches of barrier-free access through the park.

The scheme is part of The Parks Trust’s commitment to ensure everyone can enjoy the city’s green spaces, with upgrades between Woolstone and Woughton on the Green making the park more welcoming than ever.

Ellie Durrant, Landscape Development Officer at The Parks Trust, said: “We’ve worked closely with our Access Ambassadors and the Disabled Ramblers to understand the barriers for disabled visitors in accessing the countryside, and we’ve researched which gates are the

most accessible.

"The new gates through the Ouzel Valley represent the best solution for both people and animals to make the most of our parks.”

The project was supported by grant funding from Sustrans as part of an aim to remove barriers along routes of the National Cycle Network.

Whilst the works are in progress, visitors may wonder why there are ‘gates to nowhere’ until fences to separate livestock from the path are installed in the coming weeks.

Visit the Parks Trust website to find out more about the improvements.

> Established as an independent charity in 1992, The Parks Trust cares for over 6,000 acres of beautiful and inspirational green space in Milton Keynes including parks, ancient woodlands, lakes, river valleys and 80 miles of landscaped areas along the city’s grid roads. Their vision was to create a new town where the parkland and landscapes would be protected forever by a charity that was independent from local government.

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