Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)
Parks
13.26. Parks play an important role in providing areas of open space and recreation for residents offering many social and health benefits. They are multi-functional spaces that offer a range of actives for visitors and provide benefits such as improving air quality and places for wildlife.
Policy DLP53 Parks
- The Council will protect parks from inappropriate development that would jeopardise their existing and future role, function, and setting and is committed, in consultation with the local community, to maintain and, where possible, improve and upgrade them to a standard appropriate to their identified function.
The Leasowes - Historic Park:
- The Leasowes will continue to be restored and maintained as far as possible to the original design and setting taking into account the needs for nature conservation. It is designated as Grade I on Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England which signifies that it is "of exceptional interest" (only 9% of 1600 Parks and Gardens on the Register are Grade I).
Community Parks
- Community Parks (identified below) will be protected and appropriate works to improve their standard and amenity would be supported including their links to cycling and walking networks.
- Community Parks for Dudley Borough are therefore listed below:
- Priory Park, Dudley - also recognised by Historic England as a Grade II Registered Park and Garden
- Grange Park, Dudley
- Netherton Park
- Quarry Bank Park (Steven's Park)
- Sedgley Hall Farm Park
- Silver Jubilee Park, Coseley
- King George V Park, Wordsley
- King George VI Park, Kingswinford
- Marsh Park Brierley Hill
- Lawyers Field Brierley Hill
- Mary Steven's Park, Stourbridge
- Steven's Park, Wollescote
- Green Park, Kates Hill
- Buffery Park, Dudley
- Woodside Park, Dudley
- Dudley Wood Recreation Ground
- Milking Bank, Open Space
- Clayton Park, Coseley
- Vale Street Recreation Ground, Gornal
- Abbey Street Recreation Ground, Gornal
- The Straits Open Space, Gornal
- Wall Heath and Enville Road, Wall Heath
- The Dell Recreation Ground, Brierley Hill
- Wollaston Recreation Ground
- Amblecote Recreation Ground
- Huntingtree Park, Halesowen
- Hurst Green Park, Halesoswen
- Highfield Park, Halesowen
- Homer Hill Park, Cradley
Justification
13.27. Within Dudley there is one Historic Park and twenty-eight Community Parks which are located strategically across the borough. This ensures that every resident of the borough has equal access to this type of facility.
13.28. Access to parks is an important part of high quality and healthy places and therefore developments which would have a detrimental impact on the function and use of the community parks will not be supported.
