Heaton Park is in line for a £600,000 makeover.

The work, paid for by Manchester City Council’s clean city fund, which draws cash from the money the authority makes from having a share in Manchester Airport.

Cash will be spent on improving pathes, providing extra seating and improving access for elderly and disabled people.

There will also be major work at the children’s playground, with old pieces of equipment which will need to be removed in the next few years either being improved or replaced.

Existing flower beds will be stripped and planted with more attractive flowers and shrubs which won’t require regular maintenance.

Larger recycling and waste bins capable of dealing with large numbers of visitors will be installed, encouraging people to throw their rubbish away and saving money on litter collections.

The toilets will also be refurbished, making them more pleasant for visitors and using technology to reduce the amount of electricity and water used, reducing the park’s utility bills.

Heaton Park Trust chairman Tony Gorman said: "Heaton Park is the jewel in Manchester's green life and is dearly loved by so many people from across our region.

 

"Such a grant would enable the park to be spruced up and look great for visitors, with an added bonus that it would enable the park to maintain a steady flow of recycleable material for the city and keep the park free of most litter."

The council's leisure representative, Cllr Rosa Battle, said: "Heaton Park is one of the city’s most important green spaces, attracting two million visits every year from people from across the city and further afield.

"But areas of the park are now looking tired and it is in need of some serious investment if we are to turn it into a centre worthy of the people of Manchester, while in the current financial climate we also need to find ways of making sure the park is less expensive for us to maintain. This project will enable us to do both.

"We’ve listened very closely to the many park users, volunteers and friends groups, and this project will pay for what they’ve said is needed there, providing a boost which visitors will be able to see from this summer onwards."