WESTBURY Town Council is to take over the running of Vivash Park.
Councillors voted to adopt park, which lies between the Hawkeridge Road and Slag Lane, from David Wilson Homes at a meeting on 1st November.
“It is not envisioned that there would be any radical changes,” said cllr Ward Jones. “We are talking about taking on the park and being able to maintain it to a more than adequate level.”
Maintenance costs of £12,000 a year will be paid out of the £288,000 that David Wilson Homes will pay in Section 106 funding – monies paid by developers to support community projects.
During the public forum of the 1st November meeting, one Westbury resident questioned how the money would be spent, “It’s unclear whether the money received would be used to renovate Vivash Park or whether it just goes into the general coffers?”
Cllr Ward Jones said, “We’re offering residents an urban park for recreation and education and will be a huge bonus and addition to the resources that exist currently in the town.”
The transfer of the park is subject to the satisfactory completion of the legal agreement; David Wilson Homes will be paying the legal costs.
The council plans to outsource the maintenance of the park for two years with a view to training its own staff so it can deliver maintenance in-house.
