Uxbridge residents can now enjoy an easy stroll to Denham Country Park, which is in the heart of the Colne Valley Regional Park, after a partnership between Grundon and local community and environmental charity Groundwork South helped bring a long-neglected footpath back to life.
The footpath, which crosses underneath the busy A40, had become overgrown with vegetation and was covered in rubbish, all of which made it unwelcoming and difficult to use.
Work to improve one section of the pathway was undertaken in 2023, and this year there was a final push to get the remainder of the footpath cleared and new fencing installed, as well as resurfacing the path to make it easier to use.
Through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF), Grundon donated £32,000 to enable the work to go ahead and recently, Kirsti Santer, Grundon’s Head of Marketing & Communications, put on her walking shoes to see the work for herself.
“Having seen the ‘before’ photos and to look at the footpath now, the difference is amazing,” said Kirsti. “So many more people are using the area to reach the Colne Valley Regional Park and enjoy the beauty of the Grand Union Canal and we are pleased to have played our own small part in the project.”
Volunteers from Grundon and other organisations had already been involved in helping to clear the overgrow footpath, and local landowners and other funders also lent their support.
Bergey Sigurdardottir, Landscape Recovery Manager at Groundwork South, which distributes the Landfill tax monies on behalf of Grundon, joined Kirsti for the morning.
She said: “This is a really important footpath for Uxbridge residents, but the state it was in meant it couldn’t be used to its full potential and there was a danger that if nothing was done, it could easily have been lost for future generations.
“This project has showed the great importance and strength in partnership work. It started with a Landscape Partnership project funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and over the last four years, we’ve gradually been able to make important improvements with help from Buckinghamshire Council, Hillingdon Council, landowners, funders and volunteers.
“Now, thanks to our highly-successful partnership with Grundon, we’ve finally been able to complete the last part of the puzzle, creating a safer place for the community and making a positive and lasting impact on the countryside.”