Memorial garden to get makeover

ONE of Calderdale's best-loved memorial gardens which dates back to the 1920s is in line for a revamp starting soon.

Calderdale Council is working with Royd Regeneration to create a more spacious and attractive place for people to meet for memorial services and informal gatherings at the gardens in Mytholmroyd.

A key objective of the project is to provide new disabled access from Burnley Road to the Grange Dene Medical Centre. New stone paving will also be laid and a gently sloping path offering a scenic route through the gardens.

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New seats and lighting will also be installed, along with trees and perennial plants to make the gardens welcoming all year round.

The listed war memorial statue, a well-known and well-loved landmark, will also be cleaned up.

The secretary of Royd Regeneration, Jade Smith, said: "It has taken two years of hard work but thanks to generous grants and donations we can now start to see the project take shape.

"We are particularly pleased to have been awarded 50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, and are very grateful to the primary care trust, Hebden Royd Town Council, Calderdale Council and the Green Business Network for their contributions."

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Construction of the gardens will be carried out by Luddenfoot-based company J. Jagger in conjunction with Calderdale Highways department.

The initial works should take around 10 weeks and there will be a number of planting sessions for locals to get involved in planting a range of shrubs and flowers.

The gardens and part of the Grange Dene car park will be closed to the public during this time in order to provide safe and efficient access to the site. Calderdale Council apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to the public over the following weeks.

The council's portfolio holder for economy and environment, Amanda Byrne, said: "This is yet another great project for Mytholmroyd.

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"We would like to express our gratitude to Setbray Properties, the Hebden Bridge group practice and other businesses around Grange Dene for their support with this project. We look forward to the successful completion of the project and a new-look garden on this prominent site."

In April last year the ambitious scheme was submitted to Calderdale Council for planning approval.

Calderdale councillor Janet Battye, (Lib Dem, Calder), said: "It's good to see that this is happening at last to Mytholmroyd Memorial Gardens especially after the one in Hebden Bridge is being done as well. I'm glad to see refurbishment and investment being carried out on this site, it's a central situation and is important to many people. The work is going to happen in the summer too which is a sensible time for it to be carried out.

"I know my colleague Jade Smith, a councillor on Hebden Royd Town Council, has worked very hard on this project and so well done to her.

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"In addition the work on St Michael's that has been completed should give everyone in the town a lift."

Coun Battye added: "People sometimes think that Mytholmroyd is simply somewhere in between Sowerby Bridge and Hebden Bridge but a lot of people live there, in fact it is a vibrant community and contains Calder High School.''

Coun Craig Whittaker, (Con, Rastrick), added: "I think this revamp is well overdue and it is great that these gardens will be restored gracefully and respectfully.

"I went there on Memorial Sunday last year and I thought they were looking a bit grim and a bit tired to say the least so the sooner this work starts the better.''