A COMMUNITY is to create a £100,000 playpark after Middlesbrough Council agreed to gift a parcel of land to a resident-led group.
The facility will be sited on Esk Street in North Ormesby where the Pavilion once stood before falling into disrepair and subsequently being demolished in 2013.
It is being developed and managed by North Ormesby Neighbourhood Development Trust (NONDeT) after Middlesbrough Council agreed to gift the land to the community group on a 25-year lease and will sit next to the current multi-use games area used for football, basketball and other sports.
North Ormesby ward’s Councillor Lewis Young, who also serves as Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “In consultations about what people want for North Ormesby, the community has always put a new park high on the agenda.
“We are delighted that through a real team effort between Middlesbrough Council, the North Ormesby Big Local, NONDeT and North Ormesby residents we are now in a position where it can be delivered.
“When discussing this transfer, the social and environmental benefits were always at the forefront of our thinking. Not only are we providing a space that will enhance the local environment, but it will also give people of all ages somewhere to go and enjoy.
“I’m sure the whole community will now be looking forward to seeing work get underway.”
Ann Bayley, Chair of NONDeT, said: “I think it is a wonderful project, it will be a lovely area for all local residents young and old to visit and for the young children to play. There is nowhere in North Ormesby for the younger children to play so this will be an ideal setting. We will work closely with the Theme group to further develop the project”.
The project is being funded by North Ormesby Big Local as part of the £1m Big Lottery funding being invested into the community over a ten year period.
The Partnership has been established for three years and have undertaken extensive engagement of local residents in building a vision to give residents greater control over issues which affect their community. A Big Local Community Plan was drawn up in 2015 and approved by Local Trust.
The plan prioritises a range of projects in the following themes: housing; environment; crime; children & young people; and a strong community. The proposal to transform the derelict former Pavilion site in Esk Street into an attractive space to benefit children, families and older residents was a high priority in local consultation.