Hadley Village Green could get a £10,000 makeover to provide new seating, lighting and vegetation, just months after being officially recognised as a public green.
The land off High Street and Manse Road was officially designated a village green in January by Telford & Wrekin Council’s licensing committee after a two-year push by residents and a lengthy public enquiry.
As a result of its new designation the site has now been safeguarded against any future development – and Councillor Pat Smart, chairman of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council, said local councillors had now decided to spruce up the area to celebrate the land’s new status.
She said: “We are going to apply for grant funding from the SITA Trust to upgrade the seating furniture that’s there. We have been looking at various designs and have decided to install new Victorian heritage style seats,
lampposts, bins and finger signposts. The money will also pay for lights for the oak tree at Christmas.
“We’re yet to have quotes but we’re going to be applying for maybe £10,000. We’ll be asking for quotes during the next few months and we’re going to put them in for the January meeting.
“Nothing will happen immediately but we hope to be able to carry out the work next year.”
Councillor Smart said there were also plans to replace some “pretty poor shrubbery” with spring and summer flowering shrubs by High Street and autumn flowering shrubs along Manse Road to the war memorial, so that they will be out for the Remembrance Day ceremony.
The grant funding application will be submitted to SITA Trust under the landfill communities fund scheme. The Trust supports projects that make physical improvements to community facilities.
Hadley Village Green will apply for funding under the large grants scheme, which gives out grants between £10,001 and £50,000 under its ‘enhancing communities programme’ three times a year.
By Pam Griffin