A PARK supporters group is appealing for up to £75,000 in grants amid safety concerns.

Many areas of Whitehall Park are in need of ‘urgent’ repair including most of the fencing which has become ‘hazardous, the group says’.

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Bits of metal have started sticking out of fencing from Lychgate into the park and up to Whitehall Road. Steve Duncan, chairman of the Whitehall Park Supporters Group, said it needs replacing.

The supporters group said the pathways in the park are also ‘uneven’ and in ‘desperate’ need of resurfacing following the major floods last Boxing Day.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has said the parks budget is only sufficient for day-to-day maintenance.

The group has already managed to fund repairs to a bridge within the park, which has cost around £6,000, but Mr Duncan said they have no more money to fund anything else.

He said: “The horrendous floods that hit Darwen and surrounding areas severely eroded the pathways in Whitehall Park.

“There are many areas in urgent need of repair. The council has claimed it has no budget to make the repairs that we need.

“I think that they are neglecting Victorian parks in the borough as a whole.

“Bits of metal have begun to stick out of the fencing which is in a terrible state.

“If someone fell on it it could be extremely hazardous.

“This park has been deteriorating for a number of years due to a lack of funding and I would like to appeal to people of Darwen and businesses who may be able to help us, we desperately need it.”

Work has begun on resurfacing the bridge and the first section has already been completed with a black cobbled effect.

The group was also hoping to pay for the de-silting of the pond next spring.

As well as all of the pathways being resurfaced the group would like to see the road leading down to Queens Road and up to the cottages relaid.

Martin Eden, the council’s director of environment, said: “The current parks budget is only sufficient for day to day maintenance issues and the staffing of the service, which has been severely reduced over the years.

“The staff attempt to repair and maintain anything that they see as they go about their daily duties but there is no budget for any investment into the infrastructure of the parks and there is no development work undertaken.

“We do rely on friends groups to help in the parks and they do a fabulous job in many areas.

“They do raise money to improve the parks and take ownership of areas where the authority do not have the budget to undertake work but with all the best will in the world some of the requirements in the parks run into thousands of pounds of work.

“It is very unfortunate but we just do not have the budget to undertake this type of work at the present time.”