The main objective is to provide a training rowing lake of international standard to expand local participation, retain top athletes and attract other athletes from the UK and abroad to what will be the most user friendly water in the UK, due to its topography, orientation and shallow depth. The lake will be approximately 2,300 metres long by 108 metres wide featuring sculptured banks and extensive reed beds to provide appropriate wildlife habitat. This will also aid wave dissipation to assist in providing top quality training water under most conditions. Not least it will make the lake a far more attractive and natural looking feature set in 2000 acres of river valley park. Many other watersports will be catered for including canoeing, triathlon, angling and open water swimming. Other sports will be provided with enhanced assets too – running with miles of new traffic free paths, cycling and bridleways too along dedicated routes. Leisure opportunities will be dramatically increased; whether watching activities, jogging, walking in the park or simply taking the grand kids for a walk – the rowing lake and country park will provide an asset which will really give Bedford something to be proud of – a destination, Bedford – home of the River Valley Park and Rowing Lake. Context Plan - click on map for larger view A positive step forward for project has been taken with the formation of Bedford’s new Unitary Authority who will now be dealing with the Bedford Development Framework which includes the project’s submission for enabling development to fund the 2300 metre rowing lake. This was lodged in August 2008 and should ensure the rowing lake development is integrated in the next five year plan for Bedford. Lafarge have started excavations near Octagon Farm which will result in substantial parts of the lake being created by reinstatement conditions during 2009 as the attached picture shows. The context plan shows the location of the lake in relation to Willington village – close enough to be an asset and far enough away not to be a nuisance – and how the river valley park runs in towards the heart of Bedford allowing easy access and a ‘green lung’ for the town in perpetuity; it will also prevent less desirable developments. The enabling development is illustrated and is fully explained via the information ‘boards’ for the rowing lake roadshow from the front page. This is a sympathetic development including sorely needed assets for Bedford and Bedfordshire – an extended Education Campus; A community Care Retirement Village, a residential hamlet and with an eye on the need for quality jobs in the future, a Science and Technology Park. It is estimated that the Park and Enabling development will create approximately 2000 new jobs. Without doubt this gives Bedford, its surrounding villages and indeed Bedfordshire a genuine opportunity to put our town on the map and set a standard for the whole of the UK to follow. Context Plan - click on map for larger view