Regional Parks

Larger than a Country Park but smaller than a National Park, Regional Parks are distinct landscape areas usually located in the urban fringe and often containing large areas of previously derelict land. Within Europe, the Emscher Regional Park in the Ruhr Valley has transformed the disused heavily industrialised landscape into an attractive visitor destination. Within England, the Lea Valley Regional Park has restored large areas of mineral workings to the east of London into a network of recreation sites and will host the 2012 Olympic Games. Within northwest England the idea of Regional Parks are gaining popularity. Within Red Rose Forest, two areas are being looked at to be developed into Regional Parks.

Wigan’s Greenheart extends through the centre and south of the borough connecting many of the existing recreation sites such as Pennington Flash as well as incorporating many newly restored sites and identifying key sites for further work.

The Croal Irwell Regional Park extends from the centre of Manchester out to the West Pennine Moors through Central Salford, Bury and Bolton up the Croal and Irwell river valleys. It aims to develop itself as a regional centre for active recreation and become known as Greater Manchester’s Urban Playground.

For more information on either of these projects please contact Nigel Blandford on 0161 872 1660 or nigel@redroseforest.co.uk