Management plan proposed to restore historic park
A management plan for an historic Pembroke park is up for public consultation.
The Draft Admiralty House Park Management Plan proposed changes to restore and elevate the park over the course of a decade.
The listed aim of the plan was to turn Admiralty House Park into “a place where history, biodiversity and recreation coexist sustainably for present and future generations”.
Admiralty House Park was established in 1816 as an official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Royal Navy’s North America and West Indies Station.
More sites were added over time, including the ballroom, the secretary’s cottage and the stables.
The space became a public park in 1986 after the departure of the Royal Navy earlier that century.
Admiralty House is known for its biodiversity and ecological trappings, including clearings that house Bermuda cedar trees and cliff faces that longtails use for nesting spaces.
The plan proposed making changes in three phases, designed to take place over ten years.
Phase one would establish immediate maintenance and safety upgrades by stabilising historic structures, improving signage, controlling erosion and resurfacing pathways.
The changes would take between one and two years.
Natural shoreline defences and vegetative stabilisation would be used to control coastal erosion.
During this time, the plan also envisages improving accessibility through repaving pathways, installing handrails, restoring emergency stations, and using way-finding and informational signage.
Phase two will take place over three to five years. Work will be done to improve infrastructure and accessibility through enhancing facilities and using renewable energy systems.
The plan proposed surveying the conditions of the heritage structure every five years to identify any emerging risks and establish priorities.
It recommended installing interpretive signage to explain the architectural functions of the structures and the context surrounding them to give visitors a deeper understanding of the site’s history.
The proposal further said: “At the same time, any new park infrastructure must be designed and positioned so that it remains visually subordinate to the historic fabric, avoiding visual intrusion and preserving the primacy and integrity of the heritage environment.”
During phase three, which would span six to ten years, the focus will be on improving ecological habitats and heritage sites.
The management plan proposed re-establishing native flora representative of a precolonial Bermuda, and using endemic plants to restore and landscape habitats.
Herbicides and pesticides would not be used within 20 metres of coastal or cave environments and composting of organic matter will be standard practice.
Invasive species such as casuarinas and Brazilian pepper will be removed by trained volunteers under park supervision.
Protection against environmental threats include improving coastal resilience, energy efficiency, waste management and the use of sustainable materials.
To limit waste, vendors would also be asked to use sustainable and reusable materials in the park, which would prohibit the use of single-use plastics and generators.
Conservation efforts would be balanced out with the park’s role in public engagement, according to the plan.
The Department of Parks and visitors would be tasked with co-managing the park through partnerships and shared responsibilities.
Organisations such as Age Concern, the African Diaspora Heritage Trail and the Bermuda Zoological Society’s Microforest Project would be involved with formalised agreements.
A Friends of Admiralty House Park volunteer programme would manage litter and the park’s heritage and biodiversity spots.
The parks department would partner with the Ministry of Education to offer field trips and activities in line with the school curriculum.
“Low-impact” public events would take place at the site and digital portals for public feedback would also be made available.
The proposal suggested reusing structures for “cultural and educational purposes” by blending signage with “QR-based experiences” to show attendees what the site was like in the 19th century.
The success of the plan would be reviewed and adapted every five years as necessary, with environmental improvement, visitor experience and heritage preservation being reviewed on an annual, biannual and triannual basis.
• Click under ‘Related Media’ to see the Admiralty House Park Management Plan in full
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