An accessible swing, additional seating and a boules pitch are some of the suggestions from residents that have been incorporated into the revised improvement plans for Staddlestones Park in Midsomer Norton, following a public consultation in May 2023.
The consultation asked the local community to comment on the development and longer-term management of the park. More than 300 comments were received, including 86 survey responses and feedback from 100 residents who attended an event in the park.
Respondents ranked the most important elements of the plan as footpath improvements, additional seating and planting trees and meadows. As a result, the updated plan now includes new and improved pathways, the addition of a dry circuit route around the park, extra benches and seats including in the play ground, more trees and the creation of meadow areas in the northern field to improve biodiversity.
Plans to remove the park entrances completely have been discarded following feedback. Instead, they will be replaced with a lockable bollard at the north entrance off Cautletts Close and a chicane with removable panels at the south entrance. This will improve accessibility for pram, wheelchair and mobility scooter users and slow ‘escaping’ children and dogs.
The revised plans also include replacing the football pitch with two smaller goals in the middle section for a more casual kickabout, which will increase the amount of open grassland, and the addition of a boules pitch.
Some residents remember the park being named ‘Riverside’ and to be inclusive of the surrounding residents; the main users of the park, this will be incorporated into the name, which will now merge both housing developments Staddlestones Riverside Park.
The scope of the funding meant that the play area and equipment was not included in the improvement plans. However, the council’s Parks Service will replace the existing swings with an accessible swing.
