A raft of improvements to Tom Huyton Park and Somervale Gardens in Radstock are under way as part of a regeneration action plan for the town centre.
Radstock Town Council has installed a Changing Places toilet which opened on the 20th of November. The Changing Places facility provides an area allowing wheelchair access, access for carers, and a safe, calming environment to help everyone enjoy their visit to the town.
Bath & North East Somerset Council have carried out works to improve entrance and pathways, drainage, resurfacing and fencing.
Radstock Town Council is currently upgrading the play equipment in Tom Huyton Park, including a chair swing already installed and a new multi-play unit and zip wire. Surfacing will also be repaired throughout the park.
In keeping with the town’s heritage, a bespoke train station with carriages and ticket office will display the original Radstock West station name. The platforms and timetable were formerly used by trains running through Radstock.
The park is also host to cycling activities through Bath & North East Somerset Council’s active travel social prescribing project The Active Way. Sustrans and All Cycles Bath and West are providing cycle confidence programmes, and inclusive cycling sessions which helps to give children and adults with health, learning and social needs the opportunity to get out on side-by-side and adaptive bikes.
The Radstock Regeneration Action Plan aims to make Radstock more vibrant and bring vacant buildings into use and is currently being consulted on via a survey on the town council website, which is open until December 4. You can complete the survey here: https://www.radstock-tc.gov.uk/council-information/consultations
Green Party Cllr Dom Tristram said, “It’s great to see these much-needed improvements to Tom Huyton Park – it’s a space that is used by many families, and the improved and accessible toilet facilities will provide a stress-free experience in the park for many, including those with young children with additional needs.
“We really want to make Radstock a great place for everyone to live, work and relax, and this is just one step on that mission. However, it’s impossible for the town council or anyone else to have all the answers, so I encourage as many people as possible to complete the consultation and share their ideas. Let’s work together to make Radstock better for everyone.”
Green Party Cllr Liam Kirby said, “The Regeneration Action Plan is a great opportunity for us all to think about the town centre, and how me can make it a place for the community to come together, not just a place you walk through on the way somewhere else. There’s so much potential in Radstock, from the historic buildings and echoes of the railways, to the great community groups and independent businesses. This is a chance to build on what we’ve got and make real improvements to everyone’s benefit.”
The new Changing Places facility is registered with the Changing Places Initiative and is fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act. It includes a height adjustable changing table, hoist, as well as a sink and toilet. It has been funded by £54,500 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities Changing Places Fund alongside funding from the town council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.