Batley residents say a beauty spot is not worthy of a coveted award after raising concerns about its appearance and condition.

At the beginning of July, the town’s Wilton Park was one of 118 locations across Yorkshire and the Humber to be awarded a Green Flag, which meant meeting rigorous standards for safety, accessibility, environmental management and community engagement.

Yet just weeks after winning the award, a memorial bench was “burnt to pieces”, fuelling local concerns that the park is in a worse state than ever before.

Ralph Halgate, 76, and Martin Woods, 70, come to the park to visit their “pensioners’ corner” and have both lived in Batley since they were young boys.

Residents claimed the boating lake 'used to be lovely' but was now 'just full of empty bottles'.

placeholder image — Residents claimed the boating lake 'used to be lovely' but was now 'just full of empty bottles'.

Ralph said that “in his day” the park sported a beautiful boating lake, a beloved cafe and carefully managed lawns.

Now, Ralph said he felt the place was a “disgusting” shell of itself.

“The boating lake used to be lovely, but now it’s just full of empty bottles,” he said.

“You see rats crawling everywhere. If you go (up to the tennis courts), there’s a bench that was burnt to pieces only last week.

The boating lake at Wilton Park in its heyday.

“It’s disgusting, and it’s unsafe. There is no pride.”

Locals have also said this is not the first time they have complained.

Peter Fawcett, 77, an ex-gardener, said: “Parks matter, and looking through rose-tinted spectacles does nothing to improve them.

“(The Green Flag award) does not support the evidence that is clear to see that there is a continuous decline in standards of our parks.”

David Shepherd, executive director for place at Kirklees Council, said debris following the burning of the bench had been “removed”.

Mr Shepherd said: “We have huge pride in our parks in Kirklees and it is disappointing to see such reckless behaviour.

“This bench was a place for reflection and for families to remember their loved ones. Our thoughts go out to those for whom this bench was special.”

Councillor Pip Harvey, cabinet member for place, culture and volunteering, said: “I understand why residents are frustrated. Our parks and green spaces are central to community life, and people rightly expect them to be well maintained and enjoyable places to visit.

“I know Wilton Park hasn’t been at its best recently, and I appreciate the concerns raised.

“Like many councils, we are under significant financial pressure, which has sometimes meant our parks and green spaces team has had to prioritise urgent work elsewhere. This does not diminish the importance of residents’ concerns.

“Despite these challenges, our teams work hard to maintain the high standards that have earned our parks a Green Flag award, something we are proud of.

“I’m pleased and assured that Wilton Park will now receive more regular maintenance. The park entrance has already been improved, and further work on the herbaceous borders is planned for the autumn.

“I will continue to monitor progress to ensure residents see the improvements they deserve.”