Background Information on Hargher Clough Park Project

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON HARGHER CLOUGH PARK PROJECT

• The site is owned & maintained by Burnley Borough Council, with Lancashire County Council being responsible for the community centre
• It has been re-designated as a neighbourhood park under the Council’s Green Spaces strategy, which will be celebrated by the Mayor at the Family Fun Day on Friday 20/2/15
• A steering group was set up in 2011 to explore ways of improving the site, which involved 3 stages of extensive consultation to make sure our plans met the needs of local people. This was carried out on our behalf by Proffitt’s CIC, who have also helped us access funding
• The first phase of work includes the construction of two MUGA’s, a zip wire & a toddler’s play area, which was funded by VEOLIA, Lancashire Environment Fund & CALICO
• A youth shelter is currently being refurbished by Futaba-Tenneco & will be located on the site by Easter 2015
• The next phase of improvements will include a wheeled sports area (BMX, scooter, skateboard & roller blades) & adventure play equipment aimed at older children/young people
• We will also be planting 420 trees at half-term & will be creating bug hotels to help promote bio-diversity on the site
• A recruitment process will also be started at this event to sign up local people as park volunteers, who will be trained to help promote positive use of the facilities & environmental features
• A community orchard will be planted at Easter & this will be complemented by a massive programme of wildflower seed planting, which reinforces work carried out last spring
• A sum of £9,670 has been received from Awards 4 All (Big Lottery Fund) to install an outdoor gym, which should be in place for Easter 2015
• Phase 3 is scheduled for 2016 & will involve ground works being carried out to dig up a lot of the remaining tarmac & turn it into green space, which was a high priority for local people in the initial stages of consultation
• It will also include the creation of a semi-circular terraced area, with seating, which will face a small performance area that will have a power supply
• Community Payback are making an important contribution to the overall project by repainting the railings around the whole site, with the initial work already creating a very favourable reaction in the local community
• Consultation is also planned on the possibility of turning a car park adjacent to the site into a major food growing area, which is part of an emerging anti-food poverty project

For further information please contact Chris Keene on 01282 435865 or on e-mail at