We ‘love parks’ is the message as Council extends popular initiative

Rossendale Council has announced an extension to a popular programme of work that will see more of the borough’s best-loved parks revitalised.

Over the past few years, the Council has worked with the Friends Group, Bacup Pride, Newground and Stubbylee Community Greenhouses to come up with a masterplan for the popular Stubbylee Park.

The ambitious plans drawn up as part of that masterplan have been successfully delivered in various stages. Some of the main achievements can be seen in this video.

And that model of working has proven such a success that it will now be rolled out to other parks across the borough.

The new ‘Love Parks’ project will begin with consultations and the development of masterplans for Edgeside Park in Waterfoot and Victoria Park in Haslingden.

The masterplans will aim to create community assets from the parks with a range of facilities and activities to offer local people of all ages.

Work will focus on more than the physical aspects of the parks and will include events and activity sessions.

The Council is currently working with Newground to develop the masterplan for Edgeside Park including public consultation and engagement, development of the masterplan with costings and an appraisal of funding options.

Work on a masterplan for Victoria Park will begin next year.

Councillor Alyson Barnes, Leader of Rossendale Council, said:

“The work on the Stubbylee masterplan has been such a fantastic example of partners and the community working closely together to come up with a prosperous plan for a wonderful community asset.

“It makes perfect sense for us to extend this successful model of working to other parks around the borough in an initiative we’re calling ‘Love Parks’.

“The aim of the Love Parks project is to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of local people of all ages and to ensure the parks are a community asset and focus and enhance a sense of belonging. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the plans as they progress.”