Call for Myrtle Park investment (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Call for Myrtle Park investment

8:42am Tuesday 12th February 2013 in News By Julie Tickner, T&A Reporter

Bingley Music Live takes place at Myrtle Park at the end of the summer

Groups are lobbying community leaders about the “neglect” of a Bingley park as they fear major events there may be cancelled.

The town’s chamber of trade and civic society, Airedale Agricultural Society and Bingley Bonfire organisers have written a letter asking for something to be done about the state of the bottom meadow of Myrtle Park when the weather is bad.

Howard Martin, honorary president of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said: “We think the park has been somewhat neglected with money being spent elsewhere.”

The park is home to Bingley Music Live – a three-day music festival in August, the agricultural Bingley Show in July and Bingley Bonfire.

But last year Bingley Show was rained off with the park too waterlogged to use and Mr Martin fears more events could be scrapped if a drainage system is not established before April.

Show chairman Leslie Gore last year said organisers had reserves to cover the loss – estimated to be around £40,000 – but that there could be a serious impact if the event had to be called off again.

The letter was sent to Bingley councillors, Bradford Council’s parks department and the Tory Shipley MP Philip Davies last week.

It says that as another washout summer is predicted, a well-designed drainage system and levelling needs arranging quickly to prevent the park getting drenched.

Mr Martin said that while Keighley, Bradford and Saltaire parks had seen investment, the amount spent on Bingley’s park was “abysmal”.

A little investment now could save money in the future if it prevents events being cancelled, he added.

Bingley councillor David Heseltine said he had not yet received the letter, but was aware of the problem which “reared its ugly head” when the weather was bad.

“Improvements in drainage need to be looked at if we’re going to use this as a recreational facility. It certainly needs investigating to see whether it’s feasible to do it,” Coun Heseltine said.

Nobody at Bradford Council was available for comment.