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• You’ll never walk alone in Bradford’s Lister Park

• Date:

  28th June 2004

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

Arrive at Lister Park on the outskirts of Bradford city centre early in the day and you will be greeted by a large, lively group of Asian women taking their morning stroll amidst the dog walkers and joggers. For the popular park, in the Victorian suburb of Manningham, has become a focal point of its local community by bringing a broad social mix of people together.

The surrounding community has been at the heart of Lister Park’s development over many years, beginning back in 1870, when local textile magnate Samuel Lister sold the land to the Bradford Corporation on condition that it be used as a public park. The opulent Cartwright Memorial Hall was opened in 1904 as an art gallery and museum.  Despite its splendour, parts of the park became neglected and overgrown over recent decades, attracting anti-social behaviour, and by the 1990s, it was a no-go area for many.

A bid for Heritage Lottery funding was a success, securing £3.2 million, and a further £1 million of partnership funding was found from the local authority. The subsequent project’s success owes much to the huge public consultation exercise which comprised of 15,000 questionnaires and a number of open forums and exhibitions. Many people wanted to see the boating lake restored and the majority called for a greater sense of safety.

This was tackled in the first phase of development beginning in 1998. There were three phases in all, which saw major improvements to the park’s infrastructure, comprising the restoration of the bandstand and two park lodges, provision of a cafe, new toilets, arboricultural and landscaping work, and a new children’s play area. The Mughal Garden was developed on the site of a former car park and a water garden was created. The design was influenced by the Mughal dynasty (1526-1858) in what is now Pakistan and northern India.

Work was completed in 2002, when Friends of Lister Park spontaneously formed and the passionate group has been active ever since, producing its own regular newsletter, which keeps the community informed of events in the park. This includes a variety of concerts on the bandstand and the Race for Life charity run.

The site has held the coveted Green Flag Award since 2002, with last year’s judges commenting, “Lister Park continues to go from strength to strength offering a superb facility for park users and acting as a focal point for expanding community activity.  The commitment of management and staff was evident.”