Extra funding boost for Bury’s parks

Extra funding boost for Bury’s parks

Bury Council is to invest a further £600,000 in green spaces in its next phase of an ongoing programme to upgrade Bury’s Green Flag parks.

This complements a wider £1.1m green spaces improvement programme approved in November 2020.

Through this borough-wide substantial investment residents will continue to enjoy local, safe, welcoming and high quality recreational outdoor spaces.

The extra £600,000 will be put towards the full refurbishment of Clarence Park in Bury and the completion of St Mary’s Park in Prestwich.

At Clarence Park improvements will include a new £150,000 replacement skate park, refurbishment of the tennis courts, play area, ball zone, paths, railings, signage, landscaping, benches and bins.

At St Mary’s Park improvements will include play area and ball zone refurbishment as well as completion of the tennis court fencing.

There will also be provision for further development of the Burrs Strategy as well as health and safety works and developing external funding bids towards the longer term sustainability of this well-used country park. This is in addition to £70,000 that has already been allocated to improve car parking at Burrs.

Cllr Alan Quinn, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “We are proud that all of our 12 main parks have retained the Green Flag award for over 10 years. This funding boost will ensure these high standards can be sustained.

“We see quality leisure spaces as vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities. They support good physical and mental health and they are a key feature in council plans to become carbon neutral by 2038

“All our local parks have been extremely well used during the coronavirus pandemic and with this investment they will continue to be safe and inviting places for everyone to spend their leisure-time.”

As part of the green spaces improvement programme improvements are already underway at Manchester Road Park, Hoyles Park and Openshaw Park in Bury, Nuttall Park in Ramsbottom and Close Park in Radcliffe.

Other key enhancements to the borough’s leisure facilities include improvements to all tennis courts over 2 years, athletics track development, public rights of way works, development of 3G all-weather football pitches and improvements to play areas and ball zones.

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