Ambitious plans for a new town park have been launched to meet public demand – with ‘hundreds’ promising to support the scheme.
The idea to create a site similar to Telford Town Park with play equipment for teenagers to use is the brainchild of Councillor Jon Tandy and follows calls from young people for improved facilities.
The petition is asking Shropshire County Council to identify land in the county town for the park and one area Councillor Tandy has earmarked is open space near the Meole Brace Park and Ride site.
County council officials have said they will welcome discussions on the idea and have asked Councillor Tandy to contact them.
Following a meeting with youngsters in the town on Tuesday evening, Councillor Tandy said many took petitions away with them promising ‘hundreds’ of signatures from friends at school.
“I’ve had lots of calls from young people over the years who want something like Telford Town Park,” he said.
“I’ve put the petition together and I’m going to get it out to all youth clubs across the borough, I want to get it out to as many people as possible.”
He said although the Quarry offers open space there is no play equipment for older children. “The Park and Ride side is a bit out of town but it’s got to be a reasonable size plot. I really want to work with the young people to get their suggestions about where it should be,” he added.
“I hope it happens because young people are always asking me about that. We haven’t delivered it yet, but it would be something different and positive for the town.”
Councillor Tandy will be outside the old post office on St Mary’s Street on Saturday collecting signatures.
A spokesman for Shropshire County Council said: “We would be interested to find out more about Councillor Tandy’s proposals and invite him to contact the council’s head of leisure services to discuss his suggestion.”
• What do you think about creating a new town park? Email us at awood@shrewsburychronicle.co.uk or ring 01743 283325.