Patricia Hewitt MP today gave her full support to the Friends of Bennion Pools who have secured funding to transform a wasteland into a natural parkland. The Friends of Bennion Pools secured £50,000, with the help of Patricia Hewitt, who supported their application to the Big Lottery Fund's community spaces programme.

To commemorate the funding, Patricia planted an oak tree at the site today. Patricia said "I was delighted to hear that Bennion Pools have secured the community spaces funding - it couldn't have gone to a more worthy project. This site has been transformed already, and I cannot wait until it is complete."

The lottery cash will be used to continue improving the site, which was previously a sewer farm.
Work has already been done to transform it into parkland featuring lakes and a bird sanctuary at the edge of woods. The extra money will be spent on adding more grass and pathways linking the lakes and bird sanctuary to the native wildflower gardens, and a shaded woodland walk. A nature trail, including 20 rubbing plaques and 30 bird boxes will be created, and 300 trees and thousands of bulbs will be planted.

John Greasley, chairman of Friends of Bennion Pools, thanked Patricia for her support and said: "We are incredibly excited about the community being so involved in this project."