Berry Hill Park will not close following council and trustee meeting

The trustees of Berry Hill Park, Coal Industry and Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO) and the council held the "constructive and productive" meeting this morning to ensure that the park remains open to the public.

This followed an approach from the trustees who wished to secure the council’s support for the park.

The council has agreed to carry out maintenance of the park so that it can be enjoyed by the public, whilst options are considered to secure its long-term future.

This will include the possibility of the council becoming a corporate trustee and consideration of the current liabilities.

The trustees and the council have agreed a regular programme of meetings to ensure that channels of communication remain open.

Kate Allsop, Mansfield mayor, said: “We are delighted to be able to support keeping this stunning and much-loved park open for everyone to enjoy.

"It is the right decision for Berry Hill Park and the residents of Mansfield District.

"We are working towards becoming a corporate trustee and this could take up to six months so, in the interim, the council will maintain the park whilst it remains the responsibility of the current Trustees.

"The aim is for the Council to take a decision regarding the park’s long term future in the new year."

John Stevens, secretary to the trustees, said: "The meeting was very positive and it seems the outcomes for each party were what we wanted.

"The park will remain open for the foreseeable future."

The trustees had previously announced that unless a deal can be made to secure its financial future, the privately owned park could be closed to the public at the end of the month.

Berry Hill Park’s trustees run the green space for the Coal Industry and Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO).

Its mission statement is to run the park for the people of Mansfield, however the trustees – who are legally liable for the park – said enough was enough and that they could not continue to run the park which is "haemorrhaging" money.

After a protest took place against the closure on November 10, Mansfield District Council, CISWO and the trustees agreed to meet today and mayor Kate Allsop also asked the trustees to keep the park open until November 30.

It can be revealed today that the park will not close at all.