Clarendon Recreation Ground, a park at the heart of a Salford community, has been 'left to rot' while million-pound housing developments spring up around it, according to neighbours. The park is littered with upturned shopping trolleys, old furniture and used nappies, blighted by fly-tipping for months.
Once boasting a generous play area, astroturf and a basketball court, the facilities are rapidly deteriorating or have been taken over by weeds.
Residents express shock and frustration
Graham Pollitt, 69, who regularly walks through the park to visit his brother on a nearby street, said: “It’s just shocking. Everything is derelict round here. There’s buildings in the middle of the park that have been left to rot, and the burnt out old leisure centre. The state of everything encourages [fly-tipping] and anti-social behaviour. When it opened the kids used to play here, but I wouldn’t let them run around in here now.”
Even on a sunny afternoon in the middle of the summer holidays, the green space is mostly empty. Chef Tania, who only uses it as a cut-through, said: “It’s scruffy. Some of this rubbish has been here for months, and as a resident it just makes you feel low – makes the area feel a bit neglected. It feels like the council doesn’t care about this area, especially when you see all the money going elsewhere.”
Cost of living blamed for fly-tipping
Michael Conway, 64, born and bred in Salford, added: “It’s because of cost of living. People like me are struggling to pay their bills, they can’t afford to go to the landfill. It’s the cost. If you want the council to come and collect, it’s £10. People on universal credit can’t afford that, it’s a big sum.”
Developer promises transformation
Developer Lovell had promised to 'transform' the park as part of a huge housing development in the area. The firm is creating a new neighbourhood called 'Phoenix Quarter', featuring 485 new homes between Churchill Way and Liverpool Street. As part of its application, it pledged to re-model the park with new play spaces, a skate park, and allotments.
A spokesperson at Lovell said: “The transformation of Clarendon Park is central to the regeneration of Pendleton and we are building the wider scheme in line with the phasing approved by Salford City Council. The green space is being delivered in stages alongside the new homes at Phoenix Quarter, with works underway to the first landscaped area of the park, which is due for completion around late 2028.”
In the meantime, responsibility for the rec's maintenance falls to the council. When contacted about the state of the park, the local authority did not respond.
