Open days in effort to improve parks
COMMUNITY groups will hold two open days as they seek input on how to develop and improve the area’s parks.
The High Park Project and Friends of High Park Green Spaces are hosting the events to share their ideas on how to improve Devonshire Road playing fields, Canning Road Recreational Ground and Russell Road park in Southport.
Their hope is to encourage participation from local residents and allow the community to have a voice in how the public spaces are developed.
Brighter Living Partnership’s National Lottery funded High Park Project have already been working with the High Park community and key stakeholders to help improve the area with the support of local residents.
As well as match funding, along with local councillors, the construction of planters on Bispham Road and repainting the play areas in Devonshire Road and Canning Road parks a bid was successfully made by the project to the Liverpool City Region’s Community Environment Fund for £10.5k to introduce more adult trees, planters, bulbs and living willow structures to parks within the areas parks.
Joe McNulty, community organiser for the project, said: “Local residents had already made us aware of local desire for their parks to be developed with more trees, colour and features and with Green Recovery from Covid and climate change being such an important issue, we thought this was the ideal time to work on solutions to these combined issues and the opportunity to receive funding from Liverpool City Region’s Community Environment Fund to do so was fantastic.”
The High Park Green Spaces Project includes plans to introduce additional trees and planters in Devonshire Road Playing Fields, Canning
Road Recreational Ground and Russell Road parks with living willow structures also to be planted in Devonshire Road playing fields.
As a result of the developments, a Friends of High Park Green Spaces group has been formed. The group have been meeting via Zoom during the pandemic and conducting socially distanced litter picking on Saturdays in the parks.
Natalie Neylon, who is the volunteer lead for the group, said: “[The plans] are super exciting and I’m looking forward to developing the parks in this area further. It’s a great place to live with a fantastic community so we just want to show what we can achieve when we work together.”
Throughout the process key stakeholders have been informed and consulted, with expert advice provided by
Green Sefton’s tree officers, design consultancy through Merseyforest and practical advice and guidance provided by the council’s Grounds Maintenance department.
Support has also been received from local councillors, Sefton Council, Green Sefton’s Natural Alternatives team and local businesses.
The open days take place on at 1.30pm-4pm on Thursday, August 26 on Devonshire Road playing field and 1.30pm-4pm on Tuesday, August 31 on Canning Road Recreational Ground.
The open days will feature fun, nature related activities, refreshments and the opportunity for residents to discuss the plans in person.