Good news! Our Peace Garden Project is well underway, and we can already see the raised bed and the beginnings of the landscaped sandstone paving.
At the beginning of June Aberdeen City Council Strategic Place Planning approved our Peace Garden Project. Earlier in the year we had provided details of our choice of landscaping materials, tree protection measures and the planting plan. These were all accepted.
Just as a reminder, this project came about as St Mary’s response to the Provincial post-COVID Recovery & Renewal Fund which was launched in June 2021. We have been very successful in raising funds from several sources, including the Benefact Fund (formerly AllChurches Trust), Aberdeen City Council Place Based Investment Fund and the Provincial Recovery & Renewal Fund. We have also received individual donations from congregation members. Very grateful thanks to all for their support.
Our landscaping contractor, Landscaping in Aberdeen, led by Dovydas Zubernis, began the works on 19th June and has proposed a project schedule of about five or six weeks. The project schedule looks something like this:
Week 1 – Preparing area, removing chuckies, waste removal and ground preparations.
Week 2 – Foundation for retaining walls and build retaining wall, preparation for laying paving.
Week 3 – Complete granite wall and begin circular paving area.
Week 4 – Continue laying sandstone and preparation for installing benches and reposition signage.
Week 5/6 – All finishing touches – completion of paving, grouting, and laying chuckies.
For health and safety reasons the church carparking area will be under the control of the landscaping contractors between 8am and 5pm during the week.
Our architect, Dave Chouman, will be assisting us with us with the technical aspects of the Project Management. Joanne Evans, Gerbera Designs has provided a planting plan for the raised bed and will assist us with the actual planting when the landscaping works are completed.
If you have any questions about the project, please approach David Rose or Freddie Stephens from our Buildings Committee.