A new project is underway looking at how to enhance three West Midlands open spaces. An ambitious trial is initially focusing on three locations that are in Willenhall, Tipton and Foleshill, Coventry. The project leaders will be involving local people in transforming or further improving open spaces to areas everyone in the community will want to spend time in and encourage them to take part in more outdoor physical activities.
Trial
The Public Space Design trial is a collaboration between West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA); Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Coventry City Council, Walsall Council, Sport England and Birmingham City University. The trial is funded by Sport England and WMCA.
Locations
The three locations were chosen because they have the potential to either become spaces that will offer people an attractive place to spend more time outdoors, or enhance existing leisure areas, encouraging local residents to become more active. Local people will play a key part in the development as the will be asked how they would like to see the open spaces transformed. The project will focus on creating an activity-based parklet or pocket park in Princes End, Tipton. The much-needed green space could provide somewhere for students at nearby schools and the local community to use for walking, running and cycling. In Foleshill, Coventry a much-needed facelift to an overgrown canal towpath would make it safer to walk along, and plans include accessible paths for wheelchairs and pushchairs. It would also open up existing water-based activities such a kayaking and boating to more people. For more information, click here.
