00:00At the beginning of July, Batley's Wilton Park was one of 118 locations across Yorkshire and the Humber to be
00:07awarded a green flag, which meant rigorous standards for safety, accessibility, environmental management and community engagement had been met.
00:17Weeks after winning the award, a memorial bench was burnt to pieces, fuelling local fury that the park is in
00:23a worse state than ever before.
00:2576-year-old local Ralph Halgate said that in his day, the park sported a beautiful boating lake, a beloved
00:33cafe and carefully managed lawns, but he now feels the place is a disgusting shell of itself.
00:3977-year-old Peter Fawcett fears the green flag award was being held up as evidence by Kirkley's Council as
00:46an excuse that the park was in good condition.
00:48Executive Director for Place at Kirkley's Council, David Shepard, said debris following the burning of the bench has now been
00:56removed and that the council are working through grass-cutting routes across the district, with recent warm weather playing a
01:02large role in the unkempt grass and the herbaceous borders are due to be tidied.
01:07Councillor Pip Harvey, Cabinet Member for Place, Culture and Volunteering, acknowledged that Wilton Park hasn't been at its best recently,
01:16but she's pleased and assured that Wilton Park will now receive more regular maintenance.
01:21She said the park entrance has already been improved and that she'll continue to monitor progress to ensure residents see
01:27the improvements they deserve.
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