Hull’s Queen’s Gardens are now set to reopen in ‘early 2026’, Hull City Council has confirmed.
Since 2022, Queen’s Gardens in Hull city centre has been undergoing a thorough £21 million refurbishment. The leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Mike Ross, last month said “the wait will be worth it,” however people are now expected to have to wait even longer.
Last month the council stated that the project is set to be complete in late 2025 but this date has now been pushed back to ‘early 2026.’ The new expected end date is not a result of any major set backs in the project, the council have said, and is instead simply a result of an updated schedule.
The council leader, last month also said: “I know people are eager to see the gardens fully reopen, but work of this scale and quality takes time. There is investment not just in new features, but in the long-term future of the space – its sustainability, biodiversity, and accessibility. From restoring the ponds and Rose Bowl fountain to planting hundreds of trees and creating new accessible paths and seating areas, every step is about making Queen’s Gardens a place for everyone.”
Despite the set back, a small section of the Gardens is still expected to open imminently. In May the council said that the Rose Bowl fountain section, at the western side of the Gardens, is expected to open “next month,” signalling the fountain would become open to the public in June. Now, in the latter stages of June the fountain remains closed off but the leader of the council remains confident that the section will open “very soon.” He added: “It looks in a fantastic state, I’m sure when it’s open again the public will enjoy that space.
Meanwhile, 1,280 wildflowers have been planted at the site.
The flowers have been supplied by North-Cave based, Mires Beck Nursery which, as well as being a registered charity that provides opportunities for adults living with learning difficulties and physical disabilities, is Yorkshire’s leading supplier of wildflowers. The flowers, which include foxgloves, primroses, bluebells, and wood avens, have been placed on a section of the Gardens which used to be basic grassland. It is hoped the new wildflowers will help the space become more natural.
Lynn Dutch, Mires Beck’s team leader for the wildflower planting, explained that it had been a “privilege” to contribute towards the wider Queen’s Gardens project and that many people at Mires Beck had been “very excited” to plant the flowers and contribute to the Gardens. Ms Dutch also said that the variety of wildflowers chosen for the site will provide a wide range of colours.
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
