A PETTING zoo, pedalo boat rides on the river, an outdoor cinema, more play equipment, a nature garden and a fitness trail were just some of the aspirational ideas suggested by the community at last week’s King George V playing field consultation.
Hosted by the town council and NVB Landscape, who have been appointed to design and oversee the creation of a master plan for the park, the event invited residents to share their ideas, big or small, for the future of the popular local green space.
Other ideas suggested included better drainage for the field, outdoor gym equipment, accessible play equipment for children living with disabilities and a fake beach.
“It has been very successful,” said Mayor, cllr Adrienne Westbrook, “but this is only the beginning of a very long process.
“People have come in and given us their aspirational ideas. One of the things that has come out is that really, people are very happy with the park, they see it as a really nice area. It’s only when you start questioning them do they think of ideas and improvements like a fitness trail, and a few more pathways.
“It’s good to get these suggestions to work on. We’ll go next to schools, Melksham Seniors and Young Melksham for more ideas. When we have collected all the information and have more of an idea on where we are going, then we’ll do more consultation. We will probably also visit the supermarkets to get more footfall and talk to the community.”
It is estimated that by the summer, there will be a sketched design revealing the main priorities for the park including costs and a detailed phasing plan.
