£1.5 Pride in Place scheme funds Hyndburn park upgrades

Hyndburn’s MP Sarah Smith has welcomed a move to upgrade parks across the borough, admitting that she was ‘shocked’ by the state some had been left in by 14 years of austerity.

The UK Government has awarded £1.5 million in funding to Hyndburn Council to help restore public spaces, with two recreation grounds set to receive a facelift in the coming weeks.

Windsor Road Recreation Ground, close to Great Harwood’s town centre, is set to be the first to benefit from this grant, with its old and tired play area being overhauled with new swings, slides, and modern equipment.

Families and little ones will also be able to enjoy brand new interactive features that reference the nearby fire station, with work due to begin in September. But it is not the only park in Hyndburn getting overhauled this Autumn.

Rishton’s Harwood Road Recreation Ground will be receiving similar upgrade, with ‘inclusive’ play equipment for children of all ages, but also a large block-climbing feature in case all the swinging and sliding is not enough to tire the kids out.

Reacting to the investment, Sarah Smith MP said: “I know how important play parks are.  A safe place for kids to explore, to learn how to jump and climb and to let off steam.  A place for parents to come which doesn’t cost a penny and you know they’ll give you a few minutes peace.

“They are an essential bit of local infrastructure that helps our children develop and grow.

“Sadly, I was shocked to see the state of some of our play parks – after so many years of being ignored by the previous government, they just haven’t had the investment they needed.

“But now, that’s changing.  The Labour Government committed £1.5m of new funding for our local area and Hyndburn Borough Council are now making sure the money is put to good use across the borough including inclusive equipment so that all children can access them.”

This large funding pool comes from the UK Government’s £150 million Pride in Place Impact Fund, which has been handed to applicable local authorities to make visible improvements to community spaces and facilities.

Around £689,000 of this fund is going into outdoor spaces across the borough, with Gatty Park, Peel Park. Mercer Park, Bullough Park, Brookside, and Lowerfold Park also in line to receive improvements as a result of this fund.

The council has also indicated that Pride in Place funding will support a range of projects across the borough, although it has not yet published a full breakdown of how the £1.5m allocation will be spent.

Councillor Munsif Dad, Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council said: “We are pleased to be investing in play areas across Hyndburn to provide new and improved facilities for local families to enjoy for generations to come.

“We are committed to providing modern, safe and clean play areas for children across the borough to enjoy.

“Further investment is planned across the borough later this year, so that as many families as possible can benefit from new and improved, free-to-use facilities.”