Flowers in Bloom at Weston Coyney, Stoke on Trent

Published by Sandeep for Riverside in Housing and also in Communities, Environment

Housing association Riverside’s environmental team - Your Place, spruce up local green spaces for the summer.

Riverside’s environmental team – Your Place have been working with tenants and residents at the Weston Heights housing scheme in Weston Coyney, Stoke on Trent to create new planting areas over overlooking the housing scheme.

The team consulted the tenants to find out what they wanted to do with 120 meter long green space on a slope just off Weston Road and how they wanted to change the area to include some flowers and shrubs for the summer.

Mary Wilson, Your Place Manager, said: “We were approached by the tenants and residents who wanted to do something with the unused green space.

“The team worked with the tenants to design the new planting areas and carried out the work to make the area look attractive and encourage wildlife to the area.”

Ernie Clarke, Chair of the Coalville Residents’ Association approached Riverside with the idea and also applied for £2,700 community chest funding towards the project.  Ernie said: “We wanted to improve the outlook of the area for residents in the nearby homes, help attract birds and butterflies to the area and the new planted areas act as a barrier for unwanted intrusion.”

Ernie was successful in gaining a community chest fund grant through Riverside.  The funding is available for local people to apply up to £5,000 for local community groups and projects.