Canopies get greened as pocket park grows

People in Redditch are being reminded that they can book their newest pocket park and event space for free, as the finishing touches go on the Canopies.

An array of greenery this month will be the latest upgrade to the Canopies, a large partially-enclosed open space between the town’s Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Town Hall Community Hub, and library.

Large new planters including a vertical garden are being installed between Monday May 22nd and Friday May 26th to complement the rest of the decoration there, and create an oasis of contemporary urban space nestled beyond Redditch’s famous Market Walk needles.

The venue has been used by the likes of Digbeth Dining Club and Redditch BID and is set to welcome the 'John Bonham A Celebration III' event next on Saturday May 27th.

Leader of Redditch Borough Council Cllr Matt Dormer said: “As many people who went to the recent Digbeth Dining Club events there have already spotted, the Canopies has brought a new lease of life to the area around Market Walk. Now with all these planters set to go in, the green and pleasant ‘pocket park’ we wanted is coming to fruition.

“The location of the Canopies means it serves as an important connection between the Kingfisher and the rapidly-developing community hub at the Town Hall and I’m delighted to see it evolve as we continue all our efforts to regenerate the town centre. I hope residents, shoppers, local groups, and businesses alike will all make good use of it.”

Recently renovated and relaunched as a welcoming public open space for people to enjoy in the town centre, the greening of the Canopies is the last piece of the puzzle after new feature lighting, vast mural walls, and seating and staging elements were added.

The new planters, which will feature nordmann fir, viburnum, grasses, and clematis, will also improve public safety as they will help prevent vehicles from driving into the pedestrianised town centre along Market Walk.

The Canopies is available to book via the borough council’s usual process for holding events on council land, and it’s currently free of charge to book. For more information about bookings go to www.redditchbc.gov.uk/TheCanopies or contact the council’s Events team.

The Canopies is a Redditch Town Deal Board project, supported by HM Government’s Towns Fund and Welcome Back Fund, and managed by Redditch Borough Council.