The Perfect Park — Mount Pleasant Square

mpsplan

In hope of finding the perfect park

During 2013 RMDS undertook to open consultations with the local community, in particular the Mount Pleasant Square Residents Association and residents of Oxford Road and Swan Grove and also the school community. There are 250 children at school here in RMDS from 175 families, all of whom are living locally.

A summary of the ideas provided during March 2014 as part of this consultation are as follows:

The local residents:

Flowers and more trees
Heritage ideas, signage and some benches.
The railings and gates repaired
The plan should address the opening of the large gate, which may have been an original entrance gate, bring alive the idea of a ‘linear park’ and to enable passers by to once more walk through the park.
The idea of up lighters in the trees was noted
There was agreement that there should be a sense of openness about the planting and the park – facilitated in part by the opening of the large gate and by no additional tree planting on the inner wall adjoining the Tennis club.
The proposal to explore an art wall, on the existing concrete wall was welcomed

The children and their families wanted the park to:

Dog friendly with bins and poo bag dispensers for dogs. Shoe scrapers at the gate
Bird feeders etc
An art space on the wall
Paths for people to walk under the trees
Benches and seats
A place to play football and run around
A concrete area for skipping
Chessboard/hopscotch in the paths.
Table tennis (like public parks in Berlin)
Water fountain
Lights to use the park at night
Rope swings, large branches and natural wood stepping stones
Castles/huts/ climbing frames/live willow huts some kind of covered shelter with open sides

The staff/ Board:

A place where children can run around, so it should not have a ‘manicured’ feel
that can be used successfully by the local community and by the school
where children can build and create and ‘hide’ but be safe,
that acknowledges children’s creativity, using natural materials that are durable, tree trunks, logs, stepping stones, rope swing
which is hard wearing, easily maintained and can be used year round.
signage that acknowledges the history and heritage of the park,
a design that respects the position of the park between the school and the square at the entrance to the village
more tree planting, some tree surgery, bulb planting and tree identification
repair /add to the paths and seating
a plan that is cost effective