New Year boost for Darwen leisure areas (From Blackburn Citizen)

New Year boost for Darwen leisure areas

7:30pm Thursday 1st January 2009

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By Catherine Pye »

LEISURE areas in Darwen are to benefit from large injections of cash this year.

Work on two playgrounds will start on Tuesday and money has been secured for improvements to two of the town’s parks.

Contractors will be at Watery Lane play area and Eccleshill play area next week to put in place about £100,000 of Play Pathfinder money.

Proposals for a new £50,000 playground in Sunnyhurst Woods have also been unveiled.

Coun Karimeh Foster, representing the Whitehall ward which Watery Lane falls in, said: “Officers have been engaging with the youths in the area to ask what they want in the area and they have opted for play equipment made from wood, climbing frames and rocks.

“We have been campaigning for investment in the Whitehall area for a long time. In the past it has been starved by underinvestment. We have had to get a lot of money from outside the council, such as the lottery and art groups.

“Now we have managed to secure tens of thousands of pounds from the council for this work and it will be great for the local children. They can have what they want.”

The playground at Eccleshill will be transformed from an area of neglected swings after years of campaigning by local resident groups and Coun Julie Slater.

Ashton Park is a historic 5.45 acres of land off Bolton Road next to Hope Mill.

Along with Bold Venture Park, it will receive a share of £225,000 from companies approved planning applications funding for its playground area.

Newrad fishing club is also looking to clean Ashton Park’s lake up for competition fishing.

Coun Simon Huggill said: “It’s brilliant news. The potential of Ashton Park is enormous.

“Not only is it good for the children to have improvements to their play area but there is a great opportunity for older people to have a walk out round there for relaxation and to improve their health.”

Coun Michael Law-Riding, executive member for leisure and culture and play champion for the borough said: “These are exciting times for our young people. The Play Pathfinder programme will bring opportunities to enhance the existing play facilities and improve the lives of children across the borough.”

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