BURY'S parks will share £4.1 million over the next two years in a bid to make the borough a brighter place to live.

Three-quarters of the cash, as revealed earlier, comes from the Government after Bury was selected as one of three councils in the north west to run pilot schemes.

The council is also putting in £1.1 million, on top of the £1.5 million it has already invested through its Cleaner, Safer, Greener programme.

As reported in the Bury Times, £800,000 is to be spent on the revamping of Clarence Park in Bury.

But town hall officials have now announced where the remainder of the money will go:

£1.2 million to help other borough parks join Burrs Country Park and Openshaw Park as Green Flag parks

£200,000 at Bolton Road Park, Bury for a new community pavilion, footpaths, ball zone (part funding), tennis court and landscaping

£100,000 at St Mary's Park, Prestwich, for extra bowling green security, a dog-free grass play space, work at the Phoenix centre for youth service and a ranger base

£270,000 to be shared in Radcliffe between Hollinhurst Park, Barnfield Park, Close Park and Coronation Park for play equipment, entrance improvements, benches and landscaping

£115,000 for further improvements at Openshaw Park, Bury

£90,000 for tennis courts, ball zone, building works and landscaping at Manchester Road Park, Bury

£50,000 for Town Meadow Park at Tottington with part funding for a new car park on Laurel Street, relocating the grounds compound, building works and landscaping

£60,000 for Nuttall Park at Ramsbottom to improve the access road and landscaping

£210,000 for a new car park and landscaping at Hoyles Park in East Bury and Whitehead Park, West Bury

£110,000 for Whitefield Park including a new ranger base, bowling pavilion, and youth equipment

A further £650,000 will be spent on allotments, town centres, and on nature reserves and green trails. New ball zones are planned at Broad Oak, Woodhill Road play area and Hollins Grundy playing fields, a youth play zone at Thatch Leach Lane in Whitefield, and on toddler equipment at Hamilton Road Park, Whitefield.

Councillor Siobhan Costello, executive member for community services, said: "This extra funding is enabling our parks and countryside team to further improve standards of service and customer satisfaction and complete our parks refurbishment programme.

"It is a massive boost for the borough.