Local school children name new play park near West Vale development
Schoolchildren from Richmond Academy named a new play park near the West Vale development in Oldham, with the winning name "Mill Town Park" reflecting the area's cotton mill heritage. The park, funded by First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the children and local officials. The project is part of FCHO's efforts to engage with the community and acknowledge Oldham's industrial past.
Mill Town Park Opens as Oldham’s Newest Tribute to Cotton Heritage
Schoolchildren who named a new play park next to First Choice Homes Oldham’s West Vale development cut the ribbon to officially open the £103,000 facility they helped create.
Pupils from Richmond Academy, part of The Harmony Trust, were tasked by the housing association with naming the 150 square metre park at Broome Street. Onyx class submitted the winning entry of “Mill Town Park,” which judges selected for perfectly encapsulating Oldham’s cotton mill heritage.
The naming competition required students to research local industrial history, as the £20 million West Vale development comprising 88 homes in Coldhurst was previously the site of Bankside cotton mill. Each class studied drone footage showing the transformation from demolished mill to new housing before researching Oldham’s past to generate appropriate names.
The park, located near the school, features a see-saw, swings and other equipment designed for local families to enjoy outdoor activities together. Following the opening ceremony, the children and guests toured the West Vale development as it nears completion.
“Thank you so much to all the pupils at Richmond Academy for showing so much enthusiasm and knowledge in coming up with some great names for the park,” said FCHO chief executive Mark Gifford, who served as a judge. “West Vale is a new chapter for the area but it is so important we acknowledge its past industrial life and Mill Town Park does that beautifully.”
The judging panel also included Oldham Council Deputy Leader and Coldhurst Ward Councillor Abdul Jabbar, Richmond Academy Trust leader Charlotte Smythe, and school Principal Claire Rahman.
“The children have really, really engaged with this - they have loved learning about the history of Oldham and knowing they were going to play the important part of naming a park in their local community,” said Ms Smythe. She noted that following the West Vale tour, “one little boy said: ‘I would like to build houses like that when I’m big!’”
West Vale represents FCHO’s largest ever scheme, featuring 26 two, three and four-bedroom houses for shared ownership and 62 one and two-bed apartments for affordable rent, all incorporating sustainable green technologies and energy efficiency measures.
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