Wakefield Council poised to sign off £2.2m cash injection for district's parks

Pontefract Park, Vale Head Park in Hemsworth and Queen’s Park in Castleford are each set to get around £750,000 between them to revamp their children’s play areas.

Meanwhile, Haw Hill Park in Normanton is likely to get an estimated £200,000 to refurbish its multi use games arena and tennis courts.

The money is due to be signed off by Wakefield Council’s senior members next Tuesday.

It is the latest chunk of a widespread package of improvements being planned across the district’s parks, which has also seen 12 new wardens employed to take care of them.

A council report detailing the works said there had been a “lack of sustained investment” in green spaces in previous years and that many of them “Now require more substantial investment to replace old play areas, repair buildings, bring toilets back into use and improve other (infrastructure).”

A further £500,000 will be assigned to improving toilet facilities and footpaths.

Some of the cash will come from Section 106 agreements, which are paid by developers when they build homes in areas, to help fund local infrastructure.

Speaking ahead of next week’s Cabinet meeting, where the plans will be discussed, the authority’s deputy leader Jack Hemingway said: “We know how important parks and green spaces are to people and communities.

“They provide a free and accessible place for people to socialise, exercise and improve our local environment.

“Our ambition is to have a high-quality park or green space in every community across the Wakefield district.”

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