River Park path: £153,000 contract, bids close 20 October

Winchester City Council is looking for a contractor to build a surfaced path around River Park, despite a petition against it signed by 470 people.

The tender notice, published on 22 September, puts the job at an estimated £153,000 before VAT, or £183,600 with it. Bids close at 1pm on Tuesday 20 October. The path must be finished and open to the public by 31 March 2027.

What is being built

The notice describes “a surfaced footpath around a portion of the perimeter of River Park Recreation ground”. It is meant to give an all-weather surface for walkers, runners, people with mobility problems and parents with pushchairs.

The council’s River Park page, last updated on 28 July, gives more detail:

• the path will be 2 metres wide
• it will be a permeable resin-bound surface, which the council says is better for accessibility and tree roots than the hoggin first proposed
• the route is shown as an orange line on a draft site plan on the same page
• tree officers have looked at the route, and the council has spoken to the cricket clubs about the effect on their pitches

Once a contractor is appointed, the council says it will work with them to “refine the final design”.

When work starts is not clear

The council’s River Park page says works “are expected to begin in late 2026”. The tender notice gives estimated contract dates of 1 March to 31 March 2027, a one-month job. The two do not match, and the council has not updated its page since July.

Why the council wants it

The path was approved by Cabinet in September 2025. The money is Community Infrastructure Levy, a charge on developers, from the pot kept for the council’s own projects. Cabinet report CAB3518 gives the case:

• the grassy edge of the park is used by walkers and dog walkers, including people heading for Winnall Moors
• it is “used twice a week by running groups”
• constant use has worn the grass bare in places, and in winter it becomes wet and muddy and “inaccessible to those with mobility issues”
• the path was one of ten key projects in the River Park Plan

The council’s park page also lists Winchester parkrun, held in River Park every Saturday at 9am. The report does not name which running groups it means.

The funding came with conditions. The CIL panel said the surface needed to be clarified and approved, and the report says the running costs must be worked out before the council commits to spending.

The petition

An ePetition on the council’s website asked the council to “immediately pause all works”, suspend the funding and hold a fresh public consultation. It ran from 6 June to 31 July and closed with 470 signatures. It made two arguments:

• the path would “further urbanise the park” and could harm wildlife
• £153,000 is hard to justify when public services are under financial pressure

The petitioners also said the decision rested on a consultation from 2021 that no longer reflects public opinion. The council’s page says the idea of a path “was supported by the majority of local residents” when the River Park Plan was drawn up. That page dates the plan’s adoption to 2021 in one place and “early 2022” in another; CAB3518 says 2022.

The petition page carries no council response. Putting the job out to tender shows the council is going ahead.

What it means for you

• Using the park this winter: nothing changes yet. No contractor has been appointed, and the tender dates put construction in March 2027.
• If you want to see the route: the draft plan is on the council’s River Park page.
• If you have a view: the ePetition is closed. You can contact your ward councillors or the council’s natural environment team at naturalenvironment@winchester.gov.uk, the address the council gives for River Park.

The path is one of several changes planned for the area. In September Cabinet chose Sea Lanes to build a lido on the former River Park Leisure Centre site on a 250-year lease. For where this money comes from, see our report on the £924,780 of CIL grants handed out in September.