Savoy Site Cleckheaton

The beautiful green open space opposite the town hall in Cleckheaton was not always so.

Until 2003 it had for 14 years been a derelict boarded up site - a total eyesore. Owned two thirds by Tesco and one third by the council neither seemed at all bothered by the appearance of the site. All efforts by the Society to get the owners to do something were ignored.

In 2002 the Society submitted a planning application to create a park and served notice of this intention on the owners. It is known the planning department was amused by the audacity of the Society. But when the Society said it would appeal to the Government if its application was not approved they sat up and took notice. The application was then approved. When the council heard how little money the Society would need to create the park (compared with its own estimates) it offered to obtain a licence from Tesco and to fully fund the project.

Work by Society members started in April 2003 with the dismantling of the hated panel fencing around the site. All the work was carried out by Society members, assisted by over a dozen volunteers who stepped forward to help. Blessed by good weather work continued without break and the new park was opened only 12 weeks later on June 23rd. A mock cine-reel bearing two plaques was added later and in 2007 a series of paintings and portraits were added to the market hall wall at the back of the Savoy site.

Since then the park has been used for a wide variety of social events and fun days and for the town's christmas tree.