PLANS have been lodged to improve car parking at Burrs Country Park as the area has become ‘inundated’ with traffic at certain times

The proposed formalising of the overspill car park will create 200 off-road car parking spaces and a surfaced pavement along Woodhill Road, giving safe pedestrian access into the park.

A report submitted with the plans said that at times the park ranger had to tow cars off the current overspill car park over the summer as they had become stuck in the muddy grass, proving the current facility isn’t fit for purpose.

The application stressed the popularity of the park, particularly in the past 18 months.

It said: “The pandemic made it clear how much the local community wholly relied on Burrs Country Park for recreation, for exercise and for the benefits on their mental health.

“It is a relatively flat, easily accessible site open for all.

“However, many visitors have to travel to site by vehicle, having no other means of accessing the facilities on site. During lockdowns the car parks were inundated most days of the week.”

The site, off Woodhill Road, was chosen for the proposed car park it was already used as an overspill car park and had had previous works to the grass surface to reinforce and it is the safest and closest site to existing vehicular access.

Other open nearby spaces are not as close to roads meaning greater cost and a greater risk to pedestrian visitors.

The proposals include a road through the site, creating a one-way system.

Leading off from this will be ‘intermediate’ roads leading to the car parking spaces.

Cars will be prevented from overrunning the spaces by timber logs or natural sleepers.

The existing hedgerow along Woodhill Road will be improved and thickened according to advice from an ecologist.

A new pedestrian walkway created along the hedgerow with a zebra crossing linking to a new pavement on the western side of Woodhill Road, and across the bridge.

New tree planting will take place within the car park with the existing wooded boundaries being planted with shrubs and wildflowers.

The plans will be decided on by Bury Council in the next few weeks.