Widower wants to honour late wife with cycle park

A man who lost his wife to E. coli wants to transform a derelict golf course into a community cycle and skate park in her memory.

The golf course at Broadwater Park in Farncombe, which was built on a former landfill site, closed in December 2018.

Steve Farmer says he wants to transform the site into a community facility to "give kids an outlet" in memory of wife, Laura, who was just 45 when she passed away 18 months ago.

"In the first couple of weeks of losing Laura, I'd come for walks around here and speak to people, and cry, and think about things," he told BBC Radio Surrey.

"I made a promise then that I would do something with this park."

Farmer says his late wife, with whom he shares a son, Harry, was "passionate about getting kids outdoors" and would love to see the project come to fruition.

To make it a reality, Farmer will have to raise the funds needed to buy a section of the former golf course, which is owned by Waverley Borough Council (WBC).

He says he would like to "have a discussion" about "whether we can self-fund this" using the local community and relevant grants.

"I have very little patience...I want to get things done," he said.

A spokesperson for WBC confirmed that a feasibility study, which will explore potential future uses for Broadwater Park, is expected to begin in late January or early February.

The council is not in a position to confirm or rule out any proposals at this stage, they said.

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