£500,000 improvements to Oswestry recreation ground completed

The work – which began in November 2024 – has been fully funded by £500,000 awarded to Shropshire Council from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The Greenway connects the Cabin Lane and Unicorn Road residential areas to The Meadows Primary School and local recreational facilities.

Shropshire Council said the work aimed to make the recreation ground more welcoming.

It has included a new crossing on Unicorn Road, an implied crossing on Cabin Lane, and solar powered lighting throughout Unicorn Park.

Other changes include improved entrances, new seating and tables, new signage, a new 1km run/walk, landscaping and path widening.

Engagement has also taken place with The Meadows School to increase the number of people traveling to and from school through the park.

Bike racks will also be fitted soon, while bird boxes will be put up and daffodils will be planted ready for spring.

Community fruit bushes have also been planted with the intention of a variety of fruit being available for anyone to pick in the future.

Vicky Turner, sustainable travel officer with Shropshire Council, said: “Thank you to everyone who has worked on the project in whatever capacity, to those that have kept the project on track, to those that came up with offers of help and some brilliant ideas, and to those that have supported the project throughout.

“The crossing on Unicorn Road has been well received by the residents nearby and has given a safe access to houses in the vicinity to get to the park and to the school; the new solar lights give a safer feel when it is dark; the additional seating, better positioned bins, cutting back and wider paths give a more open and user-friendly feel.

“The furniture, games on the pathways, and 1km run/walk – that the children at the Meadows School chose – all look great and bring some much-needed colour to the park and a bit of fun getting to and from school.”

The Oswestry Greenway route has been identified in the draft Shropshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) as a top priority route for Oswestry and for Shropshire as a whole.

Shropshire Council led on the delivery of the project, along with consultants WSP, contractors Kier, and Oswestry Town Council.

Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for active travel, said: “This fantastic project was a real team effort and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and support of: staff from Shropshire Council and our partners WSP, Kier, Swarco and idverde; the children and staff at The Meadows Primary School; Oswestry in Bloom; Oswestry Town Council; Oswestry Youth Club and Youth Forum, and residents living around the park.

“It has improved a key existing pedestrian and cycling link between residences and The Meadows School – and provided an improved and much more welcoming recreation ground for local residents to use and enjoy.

“I hope that these improvements will enable more children and their parents/carers to walk and cycle to and from school; reducing the number of car trips to and from school, and improving road safety and the local environment.”