This weekend, Grassmoor, Hasland & Winsick Parish Council unveiled the commemorative bench at Grassmoor Country Park to express very special thanks to the Friends of Grassmoor Country Park.
This group campaigned tirelessly for the reclamation and opening of the area. Bette Hill and Ian Barlow, former Parish Councillors (with Bette also serving as a District Councillor), played significant roles in lobbying for the clean up of the old Avenue Coking Plant site and Grassmoor Lagoons, which were heavily contaminated with chemical waste after the plant’s closure. Their dedicated efforts, alongside others, eventually secured a commitment from the authorities to clean these sites. Those involved included, Parish Councillors Lee & Janis Hartshorne, Michael Durrant, Jackie Wood and Tony Booker, together with Peter Myers of the Friends of Grassmoor Country Park group and the DCC Ranger Richard Fletcher.
After many years, the clean up is complete, and both areas are now landscaped and accessible to the public for all to enjoy!
