Something roarsome is coming to Warrington this summer, further to planners at Malcolm Scott Consultants securing permission for a 10-acre dinosaur trail installation at Bents Garden & Home during the school holidays.
Matthew Bent, Managing Director at the family owned and run Centre, instructed the business to submit the application to Warrington Metropolitan Borough Council for the installation on land to the rear of the garden centre as part of the centre’s ongoing commitment to providing seasonal visitor attractions.
The application follows the success of last winter’s Christmas light trail, which was well received and led to many requests from visitors to create something special for the summer months.
Chris Primett, Director of Malcolm Scott Consultants, said: “Bents Garden & Home has long been one of the most innovative and forward-thinking garden centres in the country and is committed to delivering points of difference and special events to attract increased footfall and meet customer demand.
“Further to the excellent response to the Christmas light trail, the centre has been approached requesting a similar attraction during the school summer holidays. The team produced a proposal for a Dinosaur Trail, which will be known as Dinosaurs in the Hidden Garden. The trail has been approved by the local authority and will open for 10 weeks from the 1st July throughout the school summer holidays.
The permission itself allows the installation of life-sized model dinosaurs with marquees for educational activities, a covered refreshments area and another to house a small play area.
Chris added: “This trail will make use of the existing light trail path and refreshment facility and will be designed to appeal to families with children between the ages of two and 10, operating between 11am and 6pm.
“We anticipate Dinosaurs in the Hidden Garden attracting around 24,500 visitors over a 68-day period, with up to 500 visitors a day at its peak.
Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home, said: “We are thrilled that the Malcolm Scott team has secured these permissions and we can’t wait for work to get underway on the project.
“The intention is that Dinosaurs in the Hidden Garden will be both entertaining and educational. In addition to the dinosaurs, there will be actors positioned along the route to provide entertainment and information to visitors, ‘fossil digs’ for children to take part in, and classes hosted in two of the tents for them to find out more about dinosaurs.
“We were extremely pleased with the response from visitors to our winter light trail last year, and we hope that this fantastic summer experience will exceed their expectations,” he added.
