Calls for new splash park in Oswestry to bring families into town
A splash park could be created in a county town as part of a plan to boost visitor numbers and give local families something new to enjoy.
The idea for Oswestry has been put forward by the town's deputy mayor Jay Moore, who says Cae Glas Park would be the perfect location for such an attraction.
The town council will meet tomorrow to discuss the suggestion and decide whether to proceed with obtaining quotes.
Councillor Moore said it was seeing children enjoying the splash parks in nearby towns over the summer that planted the idea.
He said: “I was spending some time in both Telford and Shrewsbury parks with my son, seeing the queue of children waiting their turn to play and the parents stood outside the coffee huts and nearby cafés.
“It made me think that perhaps we were missing a next level attraction like that in our own Cae Glas Park.”
Creating new tourist attractions in Oswestry was a key pledge in the Green candidates’ manifesto ahead of the local elections in May, which saw the party win 12 of the 18 seats on the town council.
At their first meeting, members voted to adopt the group’s priorities into council policy and work towards them over the next four years.
Councillor Moore said: “One of our aims within the Green Party is to encourage more people into town and create a destination.
“In order to achieve that I believe we need to create new attractions that will bring families into town.
“After the difficult time we’ve all had during the pandemic – including our younger residents – what better way to start bringing the community back together than to create new free and accessible activities for us all to enjoy?
“I believe this will have a positive knock-on effect on the footfall in town, benefiting both residents and businesses alike.”
Councillor Moore said he had discussed the proposal with the town clerk and understood it could prove “quite expensive”.
But he added: “I believe it would increase public use and enjoyment of the park exponentially. We want some destinations in Oswestry and items like this is, I believe, how we achieve that.”
Councillor Moore’s motion will be discussed at a meeting of the amenities committee at 7pm on Wednesday, at the Guildhall.
