New teen shelter among Ludlow recreation area improvements promised in £48,000 development
More than £48,000 has been committed by a council to pay for developments at a recreation ground in a south Shropshire town.
Ludlow Town Council says it is convinced that investing in Ludlow’s young people is the right way to proceed and they have taken steps to address concerns of anti-social behaviour from some people who were consulted.
The area in question is the Wheeler Road recreation area and a decision has been made to improve and develop facilities after a recent consultation exercise.
A teen shelter on the site is one element of the plan. It will also include resurfacing a games area and repainting of fencing. They will also repair and maintain the play area soft surface, instal a hockey style goal post and include an artist led project in repainting the skate park.
Councillor Glenn Ginger, the Mayor of Ludlow, Glenn Ginger said: "It is very important to engage with our young people and work with them to improve their environment and welfare.
"We feel this community project is a great way to do it."
At the start of May 2022, a public consultation was held to gauge the community's support for improving youth facilities at the Wheeler Road Recreation Area.
The town council received feedback from more than residents with the majority voting in favour of creating somewhere for the younger people of the town to socialise.
But a council spokesman added: "There were however some concerns mainly focussed on anti-social behaviour, littering and drug use.
"These concerns were seen as very important to address and they were discussed with the local police.
"It was decided that most of the issues that have been brought up could be reduced through careful planning."
The council has decided on a open design with clear lines of sight into the teen shelter from the road. They say a central position will help to reduce the impact of any noisy behaviour by being physically as far away from any houses as possible.
The addition of more refuse bins would also help to reduce the littering that was highlighted in the consultation process.
Ludlow Town councillors have joined South Shropshire Youth Forum Youth Workers and spoken with the young people in the area.
