Royston Park set for boost with new orchard and skate park Improvements thanks to Love Where You Live programme

Improvements at Royston Park are now underway as part of Love Where You Live, following agreement by the Royston Ward Alliance to invest in projects that celebrate the area’s heritage and create welcoming spaces for local people. 

A new community orchard area is being developed within the park, including a distinctive archway to mark the entrance and an information board highlighting the history of Royston Park and the area’s strong links to fruit growing and orchards. Tree markers will also be installed to help visitors identify different fruit tree varieties, learn more about each species and understand the best time of year to harvest the fruit. 

Alongside the orchard, improvements to the skate park will include additional equipment and a new community mural. The mural will be coproduced with local young people, who will work with a professional artist to design and create artwork on the skate park ramps. 

Young people have been actively involved throughout the project, working with youth workers from the Youth Association Commission to help shape plans for the space and ensure the improvements reflect what the community wants to see in the park. 

Councillor Makinson said: “Love Where You Live is about investing in the places that matter most to our communities, and Royston Park is a well-used and much-loved space. These improvements celebrate the area’s heritage, support young people and create welcoming places for people of all ages to spend time outdoors and take pride in where they live.” 

Councillor Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, added: “It’s been really important that local people, particularly young people, have been involved in shaping these improvements. The new community orchard and skate park upgrades will help bring people together, reflect Royston’s history and create a space the community can enjoy for years to come.” 

The improvements at Royston Park are part of Barnsley Council’s wider Love Where You Live programme, which works with ward members, partners and local communities to invest in neighbourhoods, improve public spaces and support community pride across the borough. 

To find out what’s happening in your area, visit www.barnsley.gov.uk/LoveWhereYouLive.