Refurbishment work on a skate park in Bishop's Castle is set to take place as part of a plan to make the town's young residents feel "valued".

The town council has contributed £6,000 towards the cost of providing a new shelter at the facility, with donations, grants and other fundraising activities set to make up the remaining £1,200.

The scheme is part of a range of measures designed to ensure the voices of younger residents are heard and taken seriously, the town council says, alongside an arts project hosted by the town's SPARC theatre.

"We know that mental wellbeing has been an issue for all age groups because of the restrictions the pandemic has imposed, but young people’s mental health in particular has been severely tested - this project can hopefully offer a sense of reconnection," read a joint statement by town councillors Josh Dicken and Andy Stelman, who have been asked to lead on the project.

"The belief underpinning all these activities is that if we can help young people to feel truly valued by the town, there will be a greater likelihood that they will want to stay, or return after a period of study away.

"We are all aware of the difficulties faced by young people in terms of both independent accommodation and work opportunities. Affordable housing is vital as are work opportunities that are diverse, fulfilling, stimulating, and fairly paid.

"But there are important 'smaller' issues too, and in the Town Council’s view one of those is to ensure that young people feel valued; that their opinions are heard and respected; that they have a say in things."

The skate park work was prioritised following an 8 week period of work from South Shropshire Youth Forum, which identified it as a priority for local teenagers.

And the project is set to lead to the establishment of a youth forum, which would see young Bishop's Castle residents reporting their concerns directly to the town council.

"Things are beginning to happen that centre on the needs and aspirations of younger members of the town and its surroundings. But this has to be the beginning. If we are really committed to listening to those needs and aspirations, we need a sustainable and long-term strategy created with, rather than for, that group," the councillors added.

"We need to find a way of ensuring that the youth’s voices are heard and taken seriously in Council meetings and, above all, we need to recognise that gaining young people’s trust is a long term process."