£90,000 windfall to give Stacksteads park a revamp (From Lancashire Telegraph)

£90,000 windfall to give Stacksteads park a revamp

2:00pm Thursday 28th June 2012 in Rossendale By Kate Jackson, Reporter

A VALLEY conservation group has secured a total of £90,000 to upgrade a local park.

Stacksteads Countryside Park Group (SCPG) received a grant for £50,000 for improvements from the Big Lottery Fund’s Community Spaces programme.

It comes after the Lancashire Environmental Fund awarded £40,000 to the group in April to spruce up the Riverside Park.

The money will be used to create a dual path through the park, improving access, new seating and benches and better information and signage.

SCPG trustee and Stacksteads councillor, Jackie Oakes, believes the work is ‘much-needed’.

She said: “We’re absolutely thrilled. Improvements to the Riverside Park were identified some time ago and SCPG worked hard to consult with the local community to see exactly what local people and users of the park needed.

“Work is due to start on site at the end of summer and we hope that people will bear with us whilst this happens. We’re asking the local community to help us plant bulbs, shrubs and to help us make bird boxes to put up.”

The planned dual route is intended to provide better access for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders, with the wider, long-term aim of providing an ‘off road’ route from Rochdale to Rawtenstall.

SCPG has worked closely with community interest compant Proffitts to bring about the changes.

Coun Oakes admitted that the plans were ‘ambitious’.

She added: “That’s why we applied for such a big sum, we didn’t want to settle for anything less.

“And now we’re very excited.”