Park campaigners hopeful of revamp

Plans are in the pipeline to rejuvenate Stevens Park in Quarry Bank, which include building a brand new community hub for training and a cafe.

Proposals also include the renovation of Tintern House, a historical former farmhouse in the park, which will provide the community facility.

Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood ward councillor David Sparks, who is chairman of the park's friends group, said: "We are hoping that the bid will ultimately be successful because it would make a massive difference to the further regeneration to a historic Black Country historic park."

Councillor Sparks said the friends group, working in partnership with Dudley Council and an unnamed third party, received £100,000 to fund stage one of the project, which will help with submitting a bid for the £1.5million.

The regeneration proposals will also help to illustrate Quarry Bank’s rich history and industrial heritage.

A statement on the website site of Dudley CVS, which is an organisation that helps to support, promote and develop local volunteer action, said: "A key aspect of the HLF funded project is the opportunity to create a facility for horticultural training /therapy for a wide range of audiences including people with health issues,suffering from dementia, people with learning difficulties and wider community volunteers.

"The aim is to create a new external space for this to take place as part of the project. Internally the building designs will need to be worked up with the third sector partner to include complimentary facilities such as office space, meeting rooms, public toilets and a small café. The latter is also envisaged as a training or work experience opportunity for people with long term limiting illnesses, disabilities or the long term unemployed in the area."

Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for planning and economic development at Dudley Council, is also hopeful of the funding from the HLF to come through.

He said that he would like to see the park be revamped so it could be 'brought into better use'.

A spokesman for Dudley Council said a formal bid for the money is still yet to be submitted, but work is being done to put it together.