A new young children’s play area in Castlefields has officially been opened by the Mayor of Oswestry, Paul Milner, to the delight of local residents and children.
We have funded and co-ordinated the project which aims to provide a safe environment for children to play, along with bringing people in the community together.
From left to right - Jo Cosgrove, Leah Cosgrove, Sam Pugh (all STAR Housing), Oswestry Town Mayor Paul Milner and Shropshire Councillor Vince Hunt
We consulted with our residents from the outset to establish what they wanted and how it could be delivered to ensure the investment was being spent on areas of local priority.
Rebecca Willmott, STAR Housing tenant in Castlefields, Oswestry, said:
“It’s great that STAR have acted on what they said they’d do. Myself, and other people in the area, feel really positive that we can now speak to STAR and Shropshire Council and that they’ll listen to what we have to say and act on what they promise.
“It’s great that the children have a safe environment to play and that allows them to play outside like children should. Hopefully it will bring a sense of community to the area.”
Paul Milner, Mayor of Oswestry, said:
“Projects like this are great for Oswestry and I welcome the investment made by STAR Housing in Castlefields which enhances the environment in which residents live.
“Community centred projects bring people together which is hugely important for towns like Oswestry.”
Sam Pugh, Housing Officer for STAR Housing, said:
“We’ve created this project to develop a safe area for children to play that will also bring the community together. We consulted with the residents in the area to find out what they wanted so the play area was heavily influenced by tenant priorities.
I’d like to thank Ray Parry, and all those involved in delivering this play area.”
Vince Hunt, Shropshire Councillor for Oswestry West, said:
“This is a community of roughly 100 houses and a lot have children in them. Providing spaces like the play area for children is so important. It’s vital that we foster and encourage a sense of community which is exactly what’s going on here.
I’m grateful to STAR Housing that the money has been wisely invested, sending the message to the community that we do care.”
The enclosed design of the play area allows parents to easily keep an eye on their children enabling them to play safely.
The work was carried out by Ray Parry and completed on time.
The play area is part of a £185,000 regeneration project jointly funded by STAR Housing and Shropshire Council that, once completed, will make the Castlefields area more desirable for potential tenants delivering an ongoing rental income for generations to come.
