There is nowhere within a 20 minute walk for locals to meet, so the Ore Station Pocket Park will bring together the community, providing an amazing asset for many years to come. Students and staff of the Sussex Coast College have no provision either inside their building or within their grounds, the local residents have only a toddlers' play park and people using Ore Station are provided with just a couple of 'bike shelters' on the platforms (there is no ticket office or waiting room). Ore Station Pocket Park will be a pleasant, calm and relaxing place where folk of different backgrounds, leading varied lives, can escape for a while. There will be quite a few benches in the park, as per the suggestions within the questionnaires which formed part of the consultancy process. These benches will be grouped to encourage discussion whilst pathways will lead onto other areas within the park with sensory planting designed to encourage bees, birds, bats and butterflies.

What we'll deliver:

• Construct a wooden gazebo so there is shelter from the rain as well as shade from the sun
• Install gates to ensure the safety of children whilst in the park
• Install lots benches so people can sit and chat
• Install solar powered low energy lighting so the park can be used well into the evening
• Open up the area by taking down the surrounding fencing
• Fill the park with lots of sensory plants, including lovely herbs, trees and hedgerows
• Level off the uneven ground and lay wheelchair-friendly pathways

Why it's a great idea:

Because so many people have told us so! The amazing feedback we received as apart of the consultancy process in the community, including questionnaires bursting with ideas, comments and suggestions as we went door-to-door asking people for their opinions, they were all so positive. With nowhere else to meet in the area the Ore Station Pocket Park will be a vital asset for the community, being their space to meet their friends and other people who they would otherwise not get to meet. The park will be used by lots of students from Sussex Coast College, as well as the residents and people using Ore Station all day long. Local Councillors are in support of the park as well as businesses in the area, as green spaces and places to meet are so important for creating community spirit. To ensure its ongoing success we intend to hand over the management of the park to a committed group who can organise events for the community, seeing the park go from strength to strength.

Steps to get it done:

Planning permission for Ore Station Pocket Park has been granted by Hastings Borough Council. An environmental survey proved there are no endangered reptiles or plants which will be disturbed during the construction phase, and our plans include aspects to encourage wildlife to the area, including trees and plants which will attract bees, butterflies and birds. We intend to install bat boxes, too. We currently have nearly £25,000 towards the funding of the park, from good causes including donations from the Round Table, Hastings Lions, the Rotary Club and Ore Community Shop; grants have come from the Magdalen and Lasher Foundation, Hastings Winkle Club, the Isabel Blackman Trust and other local funders. However, for the scheme to succeed the park needs more money to cover professional fees, materials and the construction costs. A full site survey has been completed and architects' drawings prepared. These will be sent out to contractors for tendering.