For the past four years, Monmouthshire County Council has been working closely with a very active and committed local group, the Friends of Dell Park Chepstow, to develop a scheme to upgrade the children’s play area located in Castle Dell, next to the Bank Street car park.

When the play area was inspected by an independent assessor back in 2019, the park achieved a very low score in term of play value. The proposals for the new park, which will be discussed at Monmouthshire County Council’s meeting of full cabinet on Wednesday 2^nd March, when implemented will offer a much greater level of play value for local children and will enhance the environment of the wider open space.

Castle Dell is the largest area of public open space in Chepstow and provides an important traffic-free link between the town centre and the castle. The Wye Valley Walk also runs through Castle Dell, so people who visit the town to walk this important route will also benefit from the improvements proposed. The location of the park will be altered slightly to provide a more pleasant landscape setting and better views of the historic town wall.

Cllr. Lisa Dymock, cabinet member for Social Wellbeing, said: “An application will be made to the National Lottery Community Fund for a grant towards the project, with other funding provided by Monmouthshire County Council and through local fundraising. If the bid is successful we would hope to start to carry out the works later this year. The project will be using play equipment manufactured mainly from more sustainable hardwood such a robinia, which is very much in keeping with the council’s climate change agenda and with this important and historic setting.”