The Dewsbury Town Park consultation ran from 19 May until 12 June 2021 with 8 face-to-face consultation events at Dewsbury Market and an online survey. We are now able to share what we found out.

Headline results

• Most people (62%) agreed to some extent with the proposal of having a new park in.
• Most people (63%) said that they would attend events at the park.
• The top three events people would like to attend at the park are pop-up markets, community activities and music festivals.
• Key reasons for people choosing not to attend events at the park included anti-social behaviour and safety concerns, littering and parking.
• The design options labelled Design B and D were the most preferred options for design with 69% selecting option B as their most preferred design option.

Design B - Most preferred

• Many people who took part in the survey liked the open feel of the circular designs and felt the style was more pleasing.
• The top three essential safety features rated by people were good lighting at night, security cameras and increased police/security presence.
• The top three most important design features were safety, places to sit and trees/grass.
• The two least important design features were cycle routes and public art.
• 65% of people agreed to some extent with each of the park design aims.
• The top three concerns regarding vehicle access were accessing the town hall and car park, bus access and the servicing of precinct shops.

Who took part?

• 262 people responded to our survey.
• Most people (63%) told us they were completing the survey as someone who lives in, works in, or visits Dewsbury town centre.
• Seven responses were made on behalf of a community or voluntary group.
• 59% of respondents identified as female and 41% as male.
• 16% of respondents identified as disabled person.
• 23% told us they were from a Black or Minority Ethnic background, 77% told us they were from a White British background.
• A range of age groups took part: 7% under 25, 41% aged 25-44, 39% aged 45-64, and 13% aged 65 and over.
• 96% of respondents viewed the consultation material either in person or online.

Key actions

More work will be completed to make sure vehicles have good access to the town centre should Longcauseway be closed for the new park, using suggestions and concerns raised by members of the public during the consultation.

Additionally, new design work in the town centre may include but is not limited to:

• Opportunity for a new public toilet provision in the area.
• New security measures to improve safety, such as increased lighting.
• Confirmation of future maintenance arrangements.
• Reviewing current activity to combat issues such as street drinking and anti-social behaviour and potential solutions:
• Multi-agency approach to addressing issues.
• Increased officer presence (council and police), particularly on weekends when challenges are greatest.
• Effective use of CCTV and fast response times.
• Improved town centre management.
• Work to reduce substance misuse in the town centre and improve the overall experience for residents.

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Dewsbury Town Park

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Second stage public consultation