A CHARITY at the forefront of a proposed £1.5m Lottery facelift of a Stourbridge park has appealed to local residents to get behind their plans.

The Emily Jordan Foundation, based in Kidderminster, is working with lead partner Dudley Council on the project in Stevens Park, Quarry Bank, to convert the disused Tintern House into a shop and café.

There also plans to construct a nearby ‘polytunnel’ to grow and sell plants – and residents were worried that would impinge on a football pitch, as reported on the News’ front page last week.

However, the charity – which helps disabled people develop working skills - has allayed those fears and asked the public to support its plans for the park, which the Foundation insists will benefit local people.

Chris Jordan, the Foundation’s chair of trustees, said: “We clearly want to work with local people with this project.

“In Kidderminster we have developed a fantastic volunteer base in the locality and would like to do the same in Quarry Bank.

“The aim is to support those people who can to develop skills, enabling them to enter the workplace - something that is good for them and society as well.

“If the project is successful Tintern House would be primarily used to enable the aims of the Foundation to be met: ‘To support people with learning disabilities to lead fulfilled lives.’

“Tintern House will house a ‘Go Green’ project, enabling people with more complex needs to recycle and enjoy a good day’s activity.

“It will also house a ’Spokes project’, where people with moderate learning disabilities rebuild bikes donated by the public and also service bikes for the locality.

“Outside there will be a ’Twigs’ project, where plants will be grown for sale to the local public by people with moderate learning disabilities.”

On the football pitch issue, Mr Jordan added: “The position, size and shape of the polytunnel is flexible within the area designated for the ’Twigs’ project.

“However, it does need to be there and not elsewhere within the park, to enable the project to be operated correctly.

“We now understand that a new plan has been produced the does not impact on the football pitch in any way.”

Plans for the park – which the council, the Foundation and community groups hope will clinch Lottery funding – are set to be discussed in the near future by Dudley MBC’s planning committee.

The Emily Jordan Foundation is a charity set up in memory of Chris’s daughter, who drowned aged 21 while riverboarding in New Zealand in 2008.