Volunteers and Chesterfield Borough Council staff who have been making improvements to the park on Edinburgh Road in Chesterfield were joined by local MP, Toby Perkins, for a final planting session.

Working in partnership with the Healthy Friends of Edinburgh Road the council submitted a bid to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to their ‘Pocket Parks’ Programme in December 2019 and were awarded £14.5K.Chesterfield Borough Council through its Housing Tenant Participation programme gave a further £5K to the project.  Derbyshire County Council Public Health also gave a further £1k towards the project.

James Green (Chairperson of the group) along with other local residents undertook the local consultation on what the pocket park might look like if the main grant bid was successful. The project includes raised beds, paving and furniture; planting of 20,000 spring flowering daffodils; an area of wildflower planting, 40 new trees (including fruit trees), a tarmac footpath and a new wall mural.

Toby Perkins said, “It’s amazing what can happen when a progressive Council and passionate local volunteers join forces. The planting and artwork are transforming Edinburgh Road Park thanks to a successful funding bid by the Council and the hard work of local people. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved.”

The first phase of works the raised beds and paving were completed during the first lockdown in late spring 2020, closely followed by the bulb planting in the autumn of 2020. The new trees will be planted in autumn and local people are still welcome to volunteer and get involved.

Cllr Jill Mannion-Brunt, who is the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said, “It’s so good to see a partnership project like this coming together. The involvement and enthusiasm of the community has been paramount and the results are there for all to see. The artwork and the planting have really added to this community recreational space and will be enjoyed by many local residents. The children have played a big part in the project, as they did in planting all the daffodils earlier this year; they’ve been amazing!”