AN AMBITIOUS scheme to transform Cirencester’s landmarks and boost tourism has been given the green light in a key land transfer deal.

Plans are now gathering pace to bring the Old Nursery Site at City Bank back into a vibrant public space, by creating new pathways and a bridge to improve access to the land, after the area was handed over to Cirencester Town Council from Cotswold District Council this week.

Local schools and youth groups are also set to benefit from new pond-dipping platforms and an outdoor classroom in the area. And it is hoped that the site will soon become a flourishing haven for wildlife and achieve the Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark.

Along with the Old Nursery Site, CTC also took control of a children's play area at The Paddock from CDC on Monday.

The sites are a signficant part of the town's Green Spaces Strategy 2011 which is a blueprint for future management of key landmarks in the town, including City Bank, the Amphitheatre, the Abbey Grounds and the River Churn.

Cirencester town councillor Gary Selwyn, who is part of a new Friends of City Bank working group, said he was delighted that the Old Nursery Site could now be brought back into public use.

"The land has remained overgrown for a long while," Cllr Selwyn said. "Now, rather than looking onto this wasteland, residents can have a say how this piece of land can be used as more of an effective green space."

Future plans include creating a sightseeing cycling and walking route along the River Churn and buying the Roman Amphitheatre from English Heritage.

The exact figure of how much the long-term scheme will cost in total is unknown, but could require up to £1million pounds in funding from various groups including grant aid, English Heritage and the NHS Trust.

CTC’s chief executive officer Andrew Tubb said: "There are already lots of ideas coming forward from local residents and we look forward to making these a reality over the coming years."

CDC leader Cllr Lynden Stowe said it made sense for the town council to take over the ownership of the assets.

"I am very pleased to note how well we worked together to make this a reality, and it bodes very well for our aim of devolving more responsibility to ‘grass roots’ level," Cllr Stowe said.

To get involved with the Friends of City Bank Group, contact Jamie Walton at Cirencester Town Council on 01285 655 646 or by email at ucd@cirencester.gov.uk