New café and toilets planned for Dawley Park

A new café and toilets are being constructed later this year in Dawley Park as part of Telford & Wrekin Council's Pride in Our High Street programme.

The scheme is aimed at improving the physical environment of high streets and green spaces across the borough.

Work is set to be completed in summer 2023 and the café, which is to be situated in an area opposite the bowling green and war memorial, will be open throughout the summer for refreshments.

It will offer a small covered seating area for the colder months and will be open for events in the autumn and winter months as well.

Facilities already in the park include a bowling green, tennis courts, an outdoor gym, a play area for 3 to 14-year-olds and memorial gardens with a memorial pillar.

A series of local events take place in the park each year which include ‘Dawley Day’ and local community picnics but these new facilities will support further throughout the seasons all seasons.

Dawley Day is a free day out for the whole family and features funfair rides, live music and entertainment, face painting, and workshops as well as community stalls such as lucky dips, cake and plant stalls and tombolas.

In a joint statement, Telford & Wrekin Councillors Shaun Davies, Bob Wennington, Andy Burford, Ian Preece, Lord Kuldip Sahota and Raj Mehta, said: “Dawley Park is already a popular place for residents of all ages and annual events but these new additions will enhance the facilities in the park.

“A new café, seating area and toilet facilities will be a welcome addition to the park and will boost the park’s appeal as a place to visit all year round.

“We’re pleased to be able to deliver the café and toilets through the Pride in Our High Street Dawley Place Plan as we continue to regenerate and support our high streets and towns.

“We’re excited to see this work complete in Dawley which will certainly make a big difference to the park.

“This investment in the borough's high streets will help attract visitors and support local businesses, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for our residents.”

The council added that Place Plans have been shaped collaboratively with parish and town councils and include a range of interventions tailored to each high street's needs.

Further improvement work which is outlined in the individual plans includes the painting of the town council offices and refurbishment of the bandstand in Dawley, investment in restoring the war memorial and surrounding areas in Madeley and the repainting and repositioning of benches around the war memorial and viewing platform in Ironbridge.

Councillor Lyndsey Parker, from Great Dawley Town Council, said: "It's fantastic to see that our Green Flag Status park will soon be getting a new cafe and toilet facilities this summer.

"This will further enhance the already excellent park and will bring more people into the local area. I would like to thank Telford & Wrekin Council for funding this through the Pride in Our High Street scheme and making this possible."