BIDDULPH families could have their own park under plans to transform a swathe of land near the town centre.

The community park would cover 26 acres between Thames Drive and Woodland Road, with the Biddulph Brook at its heart.

Transforming the open grassland is estimated to cost between £1.2 million and £1.4 million, and the new park could open in 18 months' time.

Leek architects Christopher Taylor Design have drawn up the draft park scheme after being commissioned by Biddulph Town Council to carry out a feasibility study.

Work on creating the park would be carried out in three phases, with the first phase including footpaths, water features, tree planting and building a footbridge.

The second part of the scheme involves creating a bowling green and an all-weather five-a-side football pitch.

The final phase would include elements requested by the public, who are to be asked for their views on the project, which is due to go before the Biddulph Regeneration Forum next month

Michael Halsall from Christopher Taylor Design said if all the funding for the scheme was in place by next spring work on the park could be completed by the spring of 2002.

"The town council asked us to carry out a feasibility study on the area for its use as a community park, and to come back to them with ideas," he said.

"It is an attractive, pleasant area, but is underused and does not offer much to local people.

"There is little in the way of level surfaces, with steep banks in part down to the brook, although the area has potential and a number of qualities."

Most of the land earmarked for the park is owned by the Moorlands District Council, whose press officer Charles Malkin described the scheme as an 'exciting' project.

"We are committed to working with the town council and Christopher Taylor Design to ensure the proposals are realised," he said.

"However the project is at an early stage, and there are various funding and management issues which would need to be resolved."

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