Local charity take over running Green Park Horbury with ambitious plans to improve it

The Heritage Trust already run the nearby Primrose Hall as a successful community hall and stepped in because Wakefield Council has found it hard to develop and restore the Park with other calls on its hard-pressed funds.

The project to take back the park into local ownership has been led by two community charities - Horbury Heritage Trust (HHT) and Horbury Common Lands Trust (HCLT). HHT will take on the lease and management responsibility for the park, with the support of an annual grant towards running costs from HCLT.

The objective is to provide a high-quality green space which caters for the needs of Horbury’s community and will offer differing experiences from other local parks to meet the wider community’s needs.

The masterplan includes, toddler, junior and teen play areas, fitness equipment, CCTV, rugby changing facilities, a Multi-use games area and accessible footpaths with disabled access from Green Park Avenue. This will be complimented by landscaping including trees, hedging, a community orchard and wildflower planting to improve biodiversity.

The next stage in the project once the lease is signed is to obtain planning permission. An application has been submitted and will be publicised for public scrutiny shortly.

Horbury Heritage Trust Chairman Michael Cudworth stated: “Green Park is our park, left in trust for the benefit of the people of Horbury. It will continue to be underused and undervalued if it does not receive investment, ultimately placing it at long term risk. It is vitally important that we revive this fantastic community asset”.

“Whilst some funding is in place, the challenge is massive, but with everybody’s support and patience we believe that we can achieve this in the next one to 10 years”

Trustee, Irene Randall added, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to revitalise nearly 10 acres of Green Park. It used to be a vibrant well used park, but has now become little more than a large grass area, frequently waterlogged and inaccessible. With the support of the community, we have a fantastic opportunity to return it to being an exciting and valued community park with spaces for everyone to enjoy”.

Under local government reorganisation in 1974 the trusteeship of The Green Park Charity passed from Horbury UDC to WMDC. Over the years, Green Park, along with some other parks, has suffered from a lack of investment. Former games pitches have become unplayable due to ground settlement and play equipment was removed and not replaced. It is now primarily grass, with just one rugby pitch in use.

Green Park comprises of 11 acres of land in total, including the magnificent avenue of lime and plane trees that form a superb entrance from Green Park Avenue. The Park was left in trust “for the use and enjoyment of the inhabitants of Horbury forever” under a charitable trust deed by local businessman John Henry Green in 1925. The lease will cover the main 10 acres of open parkland. This is currently a largely grassed area, bordered by trees in places, with just one active rugby pitch in use. (For clarity, Green Park Avenue will remain under Wakefield Council control and management. Wakefield Council will continue as trustees of the entire park and all improvements will be pre-approved by their officers).

The project is being led by a partnership of established charities. Horbury Common Lands Trust has been in existence over 365 years supporting good causes in Horbury, and Horbury Heritage Trust who are the current trustees of Primrose Hall.

The charities previously commissioned a Feasibility Study for the project. It reached positive conclusions and incorporated a suggested Masterplan, which was put forward for public consultation when over 4000 leaflets were distributed throughout Horbury and South Ossett. Following very positive feedback the Masterplan was adopted in principle. Following continual assessment of community feedback and risk assessments, along with advice from consultants and contractors, various modifications have been made to arrive at the current masterplan.