A park in Kidsgrove is set to remain closed for much of January as work continues to make it safe following wind damage. 

Around 60 trees were damaged in Clough Hall Park on the night of December 5th and the council deemed the space as too dangerous to be open to visitors while the cleanup was underway.

But high winds across the borough have since meant staff and equipment have been diverted elsewhere with priority being placed on trees posing an immediate risk to public safety. 

David Hutchison, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's Cabinet member for Sustainable Environment, said: "The size and scale of the work at Clough Hall Park is by far the most we have faced in recent times: there is widespread damage to be cleared up and scores of other trees which need to be checked and made safe where necessary.

The council deemed the space as too dangerous to open to visitors (Jordan Edwards).

"The wind in Kidsgrove on the Thursday night before Storm Darragh arrived was brutal, with some residents calling it a tornado.

"Around 60 healthy trees, which had been routinely inspected only a fortnight earlier, were uprooted in Clough Hall Park, along with another hundred or so in the woodland area.

"In the days immediately after officers had to deal with the consequences of Storm Darragh by prioritising trees directly threatening public safety, such as damaged ones near homes or pavements.

"And since then other spells of high wind have caused staff and equipment to be diverted to deal with another 29 trees fallen elsewhere."

In an update to residents posted on Facebook, the Borough Council announced that the works in the park are still expected to be ongoing for a few more weeks, weather dependent. 

Works in the park are still expected to be ongoing for a few more weeks (Jordan Edwards).

The Council has been completing tree work across 27 different locations in the borough, and other sites, such as the footpath behind Hancock Memorial Church, are set to be programmed after Clough Hall Park is reopened to the public. 

Work has been ongoing this week at both Clough Hall Park and Hancock Memorial Church in Kidsgrove despite the snowfall across the region and existing plans mean trees that have been felled because of storm damage will be replaced with new saplings across the borough. 

Hutchinson added: "We understand the public's frustration at the closure and we appreciate their patience. We are working as fast as we can, but we have to make sure everything is alright before we can officially reopen the park."

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