Stafford Borough Council has revealed that the young people in Stone will be involved in the design of a new skate park in Stone.
Following earlier rounds of consultation, the master plan for Stone’s Westbridge Park includes:
- New playground for toddlers and juniors
- Natural Play Opportunities
- Wheeled sports provision
- Teenage facilities
- Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA)
- Landscaping
- Wildlife Zones
- Picnic and seating areas
- Better infrastructure, including paths and bins
- Events space.
It is under number 3, Wheeled sports provision that Stafford Borough Council wants to use a similar approach to the one they used elsewhere within the borough.
Following the publication of the master plan in the summer around ninety percent of people who responded to the latest consultation rated the plans for the park as either good or excellent.
Residents, businesses and organisations had the opportunity to have their say on proposals for toddler and junior play areas, picnic site, and multi-use games area (MUGA) – as well as the wheeled sports facility. Areas around the site have been highlighted to ensure key events such as Stone Food and Drink Festival and Stone Festival can continue at the park.
A number of recommendations have been put forward following the consultation including holding workshops with local teenagers and young people to get their help in the design for the new skate park, and for Stafford Borough Council to consider including outdoor gym equipment as part of the master plan.
The results of the consultation which ended in August are now available online at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/westbridgeparkconsultation. The report also highlights using the ideas for play equipment that local schoolchildren put forward during the consultation workshops.
The development of the new Stone Leisure Centre on Westbridge Park is now well underway with a new multi-million-pound leisure centre, including 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool, alongside gym and fitness studios to replace the outdated blue building currently on site. The new leisure centre is scheduled to open in spring 2019.
Cabinet Member for Leisure at the council, Mike Smith, said:
“I’m pleased people took the time to have their say on the ideas and proposals for the park. As you will see from the report, their feedback is helping towards the finalising of the master plan.
“Our goal is to deliver a park that local residents – especially our younger people – can enjoy and be proud of. And to do this we will be working with local people on specific sections of the park – such as the wheeled specific sports facility.”
At this stage timescales for the park development, costings and funding haven’t been revealed, but the council have previously and controversially published their intention to sell off part of the land on Tilling Drive to fund some of the play facilities.
