A Douglas councillor has said she will try “my damnedest” to see one of the town’s play areas redeveloped every year, starting with Westmoreland Road, according to Energy FM.
Natalie Byron-Teare, who chairs the council’s regeneration and community committee, told the outlet she would like to see “a park a year” done over the next 15 years. She acknowledged that whether that was achievable “remains to be seen”.
Energy FM reported that Westmoreland Road will be the first site in phase one of Douglas Council’s Play Area Action Plan, which was announced earlier this week. Under the plan, seven more sites are lined up for refurbishment over the next five years:
- Governor’s Hill
- Centenary Gardens
- Ballavagher
- Pulrose
- Noble’s Park
- Reayrt y Sheear
- Anagh Coar
According to the outlet, every park will get a topographical survey. People living nearby and groups that use the spaces will also be asked what they would like to see.
The council is paying for the scheme from its reserves and from a commuted sum linked to the redevelopment of the former nurses’ home, Energy FM reported. A commuted sum is a payment a developer makes instead of providing something on site, in this case public open space. Work at Westmoreland Road is hoped to begin in spring 2027.
Councillor Byron-Teare said that for a couple of months before work starts, someone would be at the play area at set times to talk to the people who use it and hear their ideas. She told Energy FM the council expected to learn from the first project and adapt the programme as it went along.
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