Report from Jeff McMaster

As part of a wide-ranging consultation exercise taking place this summer, focusing on a major project to regenerate the Tawd Valley Park in Skelmersdale, local people are being invited to give their views via a questionnaire.

The consultation, commissioned by the Borough Council via its partners Groundwork and West Lancashire CVS, is a valued and integral part of the process designed to ensure that the project meets the needs of the local community. Consultations have already taken place with local Primary and Secondary schools and West Lancashire College, together with a successful public visioning event which was held on 21st June.

As a follow up to these events and to capture the ideas from as many people as possible, a detailed questionnaire is being launched this week to enable local residents to make their views known on some of the ideas that have been put forward. Information gathered from the events and the forthcoming questionnaire will form part of a Masterplan to be compiled later in the year.

Staff from Groundwork and the CVS will also be attending a number of events throughout the summer, including the Green Fayre at Beacon Country Park on the 22nd and 23rd July and the Community Safety Partnership information day on the 3rd August at the Concourse Shopping Centre, where copies of the questionnaire and information about the park will be available.

It is also hoped that a "Friends of the Tawd Valley" group will be set up shortly as a result of the consultation and to date 20 people have already put their names forward as volunteers.

Steve Hodges, Groundwork Project Manager responsible for developing the Masterplan for the Tawd Valley, said “The visioning event was a great success with over 50 local people contributing their ideas to create a Vision for Tawd Valley Park. A number of key themes have emerged from the discussion including promoting the ecology and bio-diversity of the valley, improving safety, combating anti-social behaviour, and celebrating local heritage, as well as family and school activities and the future resourcing, maintenance and management of the park".

Councillor Yvonne Gagen, portfolio holder for Leisure, added “The Tawd Valley Park is a fantastic asset for the people of Skelmersdale and provides an urban oasis in the centre of town. This regeneration scheme is really exciting, so please give your views in the consultation as it will help the partners in their aim to deliver a project that people really want”.

An online questionnaire can be found on the CVS website (www.wlcvs.org/tawd) or a paper copy can be obtained by contacting West Lancashire CVS on 01695 733737 and more information and updates on how the consultation is progressing can be seen on the CVS website.

Groundwork CLM is part of Groundwork UK, which for over 30 years has been changing places and changing peoples’ lives. We're passionate about creating a future where everywhere is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny and where everyone can reach their potential.

We help people to carry out thousands of projects each year. Tackling climate change. Helping people out of fuel poverty. Bringing out the best in young people by helping them to improve their local area. Building stronger communities by improving green space. Getting people back into work by creating green jobs. Our experience has taught us that the most effective solutions are usually created at the local level. This means that the mix of activities we carry out will vary from place to place to meet the specific needs of that community. More often than not this activity will focus on one or more of our three main areas of work:

· Creating better greener places

· Promoting greener living and working

· Improving people's prospects