EDITOR'S CHOICE BRADFORD BUSINESS NEWS Shares fall as bank u-turns over funding BRADFORD CITY Stu will not tolerate City slackers BRADFORD BULLS McNamara demands Bulls earn their stripes THE DAILY CARTOON Cartoon LATEST VIDEOS Theatre group's smashing role Moor friends the merrier! Sea of orange on parade VOTE Should Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe be allowed to bid to win his freedom? Yes No Don't know GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 'Sadistic' parents jailed for torture 2 Violent robberies spree ends as pair are jailed 3 Stu will not tolerate City slackers 4 Macca's Donny dilemma 5 Teenager locked up for street fight 6 Police close in on bare-knuckle fighters 7 Student Kirstie picked for TV stardom 8 McCall gets a foot in door 9 Speeding teenager is locked up 10 Glen tramway celebrates Today | 7 Days 1 Wetherall urges fans to sign up 2 City vice-chairman calls it quits 3 Platt chasing a triple tonic 4 Bulls 46 Catalans 16 5 Godwin pens three-year contract 6 Hull face threat of cup KO 7 McCall gets a foot in door 8 Rhodes: New appointment McCall's call 9 Macca hails Dragon-slayer Langley 10 'It all went downhill when Jewell left'

Roberts Park at Saltaire is ideally situated to be a tremendous asset to the district, with the River Aire flowing sedately past to the south and the woodland of Shipley Glen as its backdrop. Its paved avenues, pavilions, shrubberies and flower beds, its cricket pitch and grassy play area must, at one time, have reflected the pride of the village on the other side of the river and the status of the mill's owner.

Unfortunately, though, the park has for some time been in a shabby state, subject to vandalism (including the daubing of the statue of Sir Titus Salt). Its condition has been all the more disappointing as Saltaire's reputation as a tourist village has grown.

Soon it will get a much-needed facelift, thanks to a £3.2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. Given what happened to Lister Park when it was similarly blessed with Lottery cash and turned into a fabulous amenity, hopes are high that Roberts Park will have its glory restored.

However, unlike Lister Park, which was given new features, it is right that the plans for this traditional park reflect the original vision. Restoration of the bandstand, three listed shelters, Half Moon Pavilion and the East Park Lodge, plus the cleaning-up of Sir Titus's statue and the addition of a new play area will all bring back the best of the park's past.

But bearing in mind the history of vandalism, proper security and monitoring need to be budgeted for and put in place to ensure that all the good work is not wasted.

8:17am Wednesday 7th May 2008

Print

Email this