Green theme continues beneath the earth for park restoration

A ground source heat pump has now been put in place which features an underground pipe system containing ethanol which draws heat from the ground.

The restoration work, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is being carried out in the most environmentally-friendly way possible, re-using materials and taking account of future maintenance.

The rubble from the building works has been re-used as the foundations for the footpaths and any big pieces of stone have been used in buildings or walls where possible.

Eighty new trees have been planted to replace those which had to be removed The new trees include cherry, lime and oak trees, all of which are native species ideal for this site.

The avenue of trees which was lost to Dutch Elm disease is being replaced with 42 small-leaved lime trees planted from the bottom gates of the park up to the war memorial.

Work on the multi-million pound revamp is expected to be completed in the autumn followed by completion of work on the new conservatory.

Kirklees council leader, Coun Mehboob Khan, said: "This extensive scheme will see a new cafe, conservatory restaurant, new state-of-the-art play area and will restore some of the original features which have been lost over time such as the lake and tree-lined avenues. It will also herald better security with railings and new entrances."

The 5m project to rejuvenate the park is being funded by Kirklees Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, which allocated 3.75m to the scheme.