Dudley Metropolitan Council work towards encouraging public to value and use Mary Steven’s Park

• Mar. 21 by Sian Jones (0)

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council are working towards transforming Mary Steven’s Park as part of a million pound healthy towns scheme.

A healthy towns meeting at Stourbridge town hall has promised to take into consideration the requests of the local public.

Healthy towns is a national pilot fund that has provided Dudley Borough Council with 4.5 million pounds to start up the “let’s go outside project”.

Mary Steven’s Park in Stourbridge is one of 5 healthy “hub” parks, with an outdoor gym, travel “corridors” and cycle ways around the park currently being built.

What the council plan to do

The main aim of the project is to coincide with the government’s Change 4 Life scheme, raising awareness of obesity through getting the public active however, another concern is making people aware of their local open spaces and making use of them.

The council pointed out that they are dedicated to “service reform” with a transformation of the park’s services by getting people involved, an increase in park usage making sure people feel safe in and around the park and encouraging people to “value and use their open space”.

Councillor David Stanley, cabinet member for environment and culture, said:

“We pride ourselves on having a wealth of green spaces in the borough and will ensure this project compliments the heritage and conservation work already taking place across our parks.”

Healthy towns meeting

Members of the public were invited on Thursday 18th March, to look at proposals for new hub offices in the park and to suggest sporting activities, cultural and community activities and heritage related activities.

Some activities suggested by the council and the public were, daily litter picking and clean ups of the park, allotment plots and growing projects, activities for youths e.g. football, cricket, girls basketball, buggy walk for Mums.

The park improvements are set to be finished by the end of March, beginning of April.