Date published: 2024-04-04 | Category: Somer Valley, Delivering for local residents
The proposed park improvements are part of the Somer Valley Rediscovered project, which aims to improve local health and wellbeing by promoting the links between residents and green space and by increasing biodiversity in the area.
The consultation in May 2023 asked the local community to comment on the development and longer-term management of the park. More than 300 comments were received, including 86 survey responses and feedback from 100 residents who attended an event in the park.
Respondents ranked the most important elements of the plan as footpath improvements, additional seating and planting trees and meadows. As a result, the updated plan now includes new and improved pathways, the addition of a dry circuit route around the park, extra benches and seats, more trees and the creation of meadow areas in the northern field to improve biodiversity.
Councillor Sarah Warren, cabinet member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel, said: “We had a fantastic response to this consultation with more than 300 comments. These have been considered and incorporated into the revised plan, which you can find on our website. The proposed improvements will help to improve accessibility for visitors and make it much easier for the local community to engage with nature.”
The revised plans also include replacing the football pitch with two smaller goals for a more casual kickabout, which will increase the amount of open grassland, and the addition of a boules pitch.
The scope of the funding meant that the play area and equipment was not included in the improvement plans. However, the council’s Parks Service will replace the existing swings with an accessible swing.
You can view the final master plan and further details of the improvement plans on the Somer Valley Rediscovered website.
ENDS