A community park in south Cumbria has been given the green light to go ahead with development plans.

Ford Park Group revealed on June 23 that a previously submitted application has been approved to build a brand-new community room on site.

Read more: Plans revealed to develop Ford Park in Ulverston | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

They are now asking for public engagement to further shape the development going forward, as well as potential help with fundraising the build.

A spokesperson said: "The Williams Room upstairs at the Coach House is always in high demand and used by a wide range of groups throughout the week and for workshops, events and private functions at the weekend.

"With so many groups and small businesses seeking to hire affordable space locally, we needed to find a solution that would benefit the community and also support the upkeep of the park."

Since August 2022, the group has been in discussions to create 'a room the community could get involved in and help to build'.

"In October, we were thrilled to receive a grant from The Community Infrastructure Levy which enabled us to work closely with the architect to draw up designs for the new building and commission site surveys to support our planning application," said a spokesman.

"The new community room will be a WikiHouse construction made up of digitally fabricated blocks that can be assembled onsite with the help of the community."

The room will be carbon negative through the use of responsibly grown wood thanks to partners Digital Woodoo.

"This is a key factor of the build as we continue to protect the park and the environment," the group added.

"As we begin to finalise the finer details and costings of the build, our focus is turning to grant applications and fundraising. 

"We are keen to hear your thoughts on this project and would love to know what you would like to see the community room used for, what new groups could utilise this space and how you feel it would benefit the community and the park."

You can share your thoughts on the plans by visiting the website here.