Residents help to shape the future of Nightingale Park
We’ve been working with the Nightingale Community Group, a local resident group, on a joint project to improve the recreation area at Nightingale Park in Baldock. The improvements to the park are being funded directly through money set aside to benefit the local community.
Plans for the park have now been finalised. Following a meeting in August with the Nightingale Park Community Group and local residents, the final proposal for features such as a trim trail track have been confirmed with an architect. The park’s existing wildlife area, which residents already maintain, will remain an important part of the space, with plans to improve it further.
Why Nightingale Park?
We chose Nightingale Park for this project because it’s one of our largest and most-widely used parks, enjoyed by residents and visitors from across Baldock. Around half of its users are Settle residents, and the park already benefits from the dedication of the Nightingale Community Group, who created a wildlife garden and continue to care for it.
Over the last few years, Settle has invested in repairing and maintaining the park, to keep it welcoming to all. By revamping Nightingale Park, we aim to create a space that meets the needs of children, adults, and families, while supporting the local community to take ownership of the park. This project will also help us learn how to work with residents to improve other parks in other neighbourhoods.
Residents’ voices
From the start, residents and the Nightingale Community Group have been closely involved in shaping plans for how the park will look. Around 50 Baldock residents recently joined Settle colleagues and members of the community group for a fun and friendly event in the park, enjoying refreshments and games while sharing their ideas on improvements. The event built on the group’s ongoing work with local residents, who have been meeting throughout the process to discuss options and ideas. On the day, people voted for their favourite ideas and added new suggestions. Children also had their say, drawing pictures of features they would like to see, including swings, slides, and monkey bars.
The project has also given Settle’s Neighbourhood team the chance to hear wider concerns from the community, including feedback on local developments and anti-social behaviour, to ensure the park meets the needs of local people and reflects our commitment to creating neighbourhoods that people are proud to live in.
Nicola Price, Settle’s Community Investment Coordinator said:
We’re pleased that so many people attended the event to share their views on the improvements they would like at the park. We think the new park will be one to be proud of because it was designed together with local residents.
Residents in the local area have been written to with details of the plans and construction is due to begin in October.
If residents would like any more information or for a printed copy of the plan, please email: [email protected].
Have your say
We want to make sure residents continue to guide improvements, not just at Nightingale Park but across all neighbourhoods in which we work. You can share your ideas and feedback through our Get involved page or via our digital platform, Settle Connect.. Take part in the quick Neighbourhood Improvement Survey, drop pins on the map to show what you like or where improvements are needed, or post suggestions on the ‘Ideas board’.
