Major improvements planned for Newcastle park
More than £400,000 is being invested in a Newcastle park after consultation with local residents.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is using £412,000 to transform Bradwell Dingle and work is expected to begin in the New Year.
Delivery follows consultation with residents, local councillors and the Friends of Bradwell Dingle, who helped reach more than 120 people through surveys and on-site events.
David Hutchison, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's Cabinet member for Sustainable Environment, said:
Feedback from the consultation was quite clear in identifying the need for better play facilities, improved access, and more community spaces.
We’re grateful to the Friends of Bradwell Dingle for their input and look forward to seeing the improvements take shape.”
Key features of the scheme will include:
- A new pump track to replace the old skatepark, designed for all ages and abilities;
- A larger, inclusive play area with modern equipment;
- Easier access for wheelchairs and pushchairs by removing restrictive gates;
- A new community garden, subject to local group involvement;
- Outdoor gym equipment, nature play areas, and new benches;
- Safety improvements such as clearer sightlines.
The work will be funded by Section 106 contributions from the nearby Knype Way housing development.
David Hutchison added:
The Dingle’s long-term future is assured because it’s on the Council’s list of green spaces which are to be protected under the Council’s Fields in Trust programme.
This will see up to a hundred council-owned popular sites such as parks, open spaces, playgrounds and sports fields permanently designated as such, which ensures they will remain publicly accessible for recreational activities, carbon capture and nature appreciation now and in the future.”