Frontis, a member of North West-based Harvest Housing Group, operating in Warrington, has attended meetings with Warrington Borough Council and Birchwood Town Councillors to discuss improvements to leisure facilities and resources in the area.
High on their agenda was an open space in the centre of the Oakwood neighbourhood, which could benefit from being utilised as a leisure facility but which is currently seen as a ‘no go’ area, especially in the evening due to poor lighting and dense trees.
Bernadette Bell, Frontis Neighbourhood Regeneration Officer for Oakwood said:
“We were keen for Frontis to become involved in this project as the area of land in question is in the middle of our neighbourhood and surrounded by our houses.”
Bernadette suggested an approach to Oakwood Neighbourhood Association, who could fundraise for the project. They have now secured funding to employ Groundwork Mersey Valley to carry out a feasibility study of this and other open spaces in the area, to consider their suitability for play areas, youth shelters, community greens etc.
Bernadette Bell continues:
“It is important that all our residents have confidence in the area both in terms of safety and the quality of facilities available to them, and we have a stringent action plan in place to achieve this.”
The project will get underway next month with a number of major community consultation events including a fun day organised on the site to showcase other developments that Groundwork has been involved in and to consult with the community on the leisure facilities they’d like to see in the area.
The 2nd stage will be to identify the community’s top priority and to complete this phase of work.
A 3-year action plan will be drawn up to allow Oakwood Neighbourhood Association to continue the project to access funding for further works.