A DATED town centre park is to receive a cheaper revamp after its original regeneration plans were scrapped.

Kings Head Gardens, on Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, is to be refurbished thanks to a £40,000 grant from Kirklees Council and £5,000 from Yorkshire Water.

The cash was approved by councillors at The Valleys area committee meeting, at Holmfirth Civic Hall, last Thursday.

A £200,000 plan to turn the park into Holmfirth Heritage Garden – including a bronze statue of Last of the Summer Wine star, Bill Owen – was scrapped last March.

The park was built in the early 1970s, on the former site of the Kings Head pub, as part of Holmfirth District Council’s ‘General Improvement Area’ scheme.

But the park with its large paved open spaces had become outdated and had fallen into disrepair.

It is thought the park, on the edge of the town centre, gives a negative image to people entering the town.

Plans to renew Kings Head Gardens had been debated over the past four years by Kirklees Council’s regeneration team, councillors and local groups.

The approved scheme, includes plans for re-landscaping the gardens and installing artwork depicting local heritage.

Details of the scheme are being drawn up by Kirklees Council, Holme Valley South councillors and other parties.

Holme Valley South councillor Donald Firth said: “It’s good news for Holmfirth town centre. It was an issue that had gone on and on for ever.

“It had originally started as a £200,000 heritage garden but with the financial crisis we had to give up most of that. We’ve had to cut the cloth according to the size.

“The original plans had quite a lot in them. We’ve had to cut back but it’ll be a nice place for people to sit in the summer when they’ve done their shopping. It’ll be a bright corner of the town centre.”