Complaints over lack of investment in Moses Gate Country Park

At the Farnworth Area Forum meeting this evening, residents complained that the park – as well as Farnworth Central Park – was suffering when compared to others elsewhere in the borough.

In a written question submitted to the meeting, which was held at Trinity Church, one resident said: “Each time I visit, another area is closed to the public.”

Others also complained over the absence of a café in the park and a lack of investment in new facilities.

A spokesman for Bolton Council’s Environmental Services department responded by saying that each park in the borough is different and that others – such as Queens Park and Leverhulme Park – had been eligible for funding that Moses Gate was not.

They said: “'Bolton has four major parks which serve the people of the borough and beyond but each is different.

“Leverhulme Park is heavily sports focused but has significant semi-natural areas along the river. Sports Facilities do attract external funding for capital refurbishments.

“Moss Bank Park is a visitor destination park with a range of facilities, many charged, on site. The main horticultural features, Walled and Rock Gardens, have been refurbished with a significant fund raising contribution from the Friends of Moss Bank Park, who also carry out volunteer maintenance work.

“Queens Park is a traditional Victorian Town Park and as a result has been able to attract significant Heritage Lottery Funding in recent years (approved in 2006 before the beginning of cuts to public services).

“Moses Gate is a large scale country park developed on an area of historical industrial activity, it is semi-natural for the most part and did have significant investment in the 1980s and 90s when country parks where popular nationally and significant public funding was available via the Countryside Commission.

“More recently the play area was installed and this will be due for some refurbishment in the next year or two. Moses Gate has never had a café although the Council did, unsuccessfully, seek to attract a private operator a few years ago.

“Unfortunately Bolton Council has had significant cuts since 2008 and this has meant reductions in the resources available to manage and maintain many Council facilities, including Parks and Greenspaces.

"This has meant that some facilities have had to close, for example Animal World at Moss Bank Park, the Council no longer has a Ranger Service and mowing frequencies have been reduced across almost all parks and greenspaces in the borough.”

At the meeting, residents were also assured that plans to redevelop the former Farnworth Market site are progressing, despite delays to the work starting.

Council officials added that Transport for Greater Manchester are undertaking survey work with a view to redeveloping Farnworth’s bus station, and that there are also plans to improve Brackley Street when those two projects are completed.

After further complaints about litter around the town, residents were told that Farnworth is currently on the highest frequency street cleaning schedule, which is every three weeks.