Friends of the Dell Park Chepstow, Monmouthshire County Council and Chepstow Town Council are disappointed to share the news that the redevelopment of the Dell play area has encountered a setback due to safety concerns relating to the boundary wall in Castle Dell.

Although the wall underwent some maintenance and repair works in recent months, it has now become apparent that the wall is also leaning and requires further work. To mitigate this and ensure the safety of people using the park and nearby residents, the installation of three supporting buttresses has been proposed. Although the wall itself is not a scheduled structure, it still requires Scheduled Ancient Monuments consent because of its close proximity to the historic Port Wall.

As a partnership that has long supported improvements to this much-loved community space, we know how eagerly children and families have been awaiting the completion of the upgraded play area. We had sincerely hoped the works would be completed during the summer holidays so that everyone could begin enjoying the new facilities. It is therefore very disappointing that this will no longer be possible. However, safety must come first, and we need to address these structural issues before any further works can proceed.

We know this news will come as quite a blow to many, and we want to thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding.

Friends of the Dell Park Chepstow, Monmouthshire County Council and Chepstow Town Council, remain fully committed to the improvement and preservation of this important community space. We are hopeful that the work will be able to re-commence in the autumn, with completion before the end of 2025.