About Us

The formation of Friends of Memorial Park - FoMP
May 2003: Hyndburn Borough Council posted a notice on Church Lane, Great Harwood. It expressed concerns over the health of the trees at Memorial Park which had led to a decision to fell a large number of trees surrounding the playing field. It stated the trees were suffering from an attack by the “Bulgarian Canker” fungus which caused patches of bark up to several square feet in size to craze and fall away from the stem. It went on to inform that no effective control measures were available against the disease and that it was present in a large number of the Horse Chestnut trees.

Enraged by the felling of what appeared to be perfectly health trees, local resident Ian Wilkinson tried in vain to prevent or delay the culling process. An article appeared in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph the following day and in response to a photo call from the Accrington Observer two days later, over 70 residents were photographed on Church Lane.

16 May 2003: In order to try to calm the situation the council issued a letter to Great Harwood residents. It again referred to the trees being affected with Bulgarian Canker. It explained that there were a substantial number of diseased trees on the site at the time and this, together with the rapid spread of the infection had been taken into account in the planning process to develop the playing field. It stated that Bulgarian Canker was so aggressive it was not advisable to retain a few trees, as they would soon become a source of infection.

19th May 2003: The first meeting of the friends group was held (then referred to Memorial Park Group). Enquires by local residents to the Forest Research Agency in Surrey and Myerscough College in Lancashire, revealed that they had not heard of Bulgarian Canker. They suggested that the more likely cause of any disease, particularly in Horse Chestnuts would be a cancer caused by Phytophthora. Armed with this evidence, the residents demanded an urgent meeting with representatives of the council to explain their findings and seek an explanation of the diagnosis made by them.

20th May 2003: The outcome of a meeting held between local residents and the council was the issue of a joint statement by the residents and the council. In this the council agreed that no further felling of trees that were not affected by the sports field development would take place until an independent report on the future management of the trees in the park and surrounding areas had been prepared and submitted to the next Area Council Meeting.

On 24th June 2003: Residents submitted a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. In this submission they recorded their viewpoint that “the Council failed properly to consult with the residents of Great Harwood when it decided to develop an area in Memorial Park for playing fields. Further, the Council failed to consult residents about amendments to the plan when planning permission was granted for the development. Finally, the Council’s diagnosis on alleged diseased trees within the development area was incorrect”. The Local Government inspector meet with residents and views were exchanged regarding the above submission. Following investigation by the inspector HBC representatives wrote to the Ombudsman to say they intended to reach a local settlement with the Friends of Memorial Park Group. 3rd July 2003: First recorded Committee Meeting of Friends of Memorial Park 5th August 2003: Joint Statement issued at the Great Harwood Area Council by Hyndburn Borough Council and the Friends of Memorial Park. 8th August 2003: The Friends of Memorial Park informed the Ombudsman that they had reached a local settlement with HBC regarding the above complaint. The basis of the settlement had been reached through consultation and meetings with HBC officers resulting a joint statement issued at the Great Harwood Area Council Meeting.

In 2004 a local resident used a small piece of wood from the felled horse chestnut trees and carved it into a work of art. It has be named as "The Memorial Angel" and now resides in the Great Harwood Parish Church. The beautiful carving guards little secret in the form of a message hidden in the base. Next time you visit the church why not look out for the angel. We feel sure you will be very impressed by the quality of this work. Hyndburn Borough Council now works closely with Friends of Memorial Park on all issues affecting the park and its users.

If you would like to join Friends of Memorial Park group and learn more about our activities, please send us a message on the contact page and we will get right back to you.