Gardens care 'well short of acceptable level'
BBCMaintenance at a historic gardens site has fallen "well short of any acceptable level," it has been claimed.
Saltburn's Valley Gardens were established in 1861 by the Quaker industrialist Henry Pease as part of his vision for a refined Victorian seaside resort and feature an Italian-style park, wooded walks and miniature railway.
However, councillor Philip Thomson told a Redcar and Cleveland Council meeting that railings at one of the entrances have been "in a state of disrepair for several years", with the site on Historic England's at-risk register.
Councillor Neil Bendelow, cabinet member for neighbourhoods on the Labour-led authority, said any "safety critical" defects would be rectified.
Thomson, who represents Saltburn as an Independent, said despite site visits by senior officers and cabinet members, "repairs have not been undertaken".
"The disrepair continues along the entire length of the pavements bordering the Valley Gardens and Rifts Wood," he told colleagues.
"Anyone looking at the railings in question – which extend for half a mile – [can see] they are disconnected and rusty."
The council has previously acknowledged issues at the gardens, including path and step subsidence and unmanaged tree and shrub growth, primarily due to the steeply sloping nature of the site.
It is seeking opportunities for funding to protect and revitalise the gardens, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Bendelow said requests had been made to the authority, but the threshold of being safety critical had not been met and that while some boundary elements "may not look appealing", carriageway, footway and drainage works took priority.
He also said he and Thompson had walked around the gardens which he described as a "jewel in the crown in Saltburn".
Further talks will be held with Thomson and volunteers to try to finalise a plan to bid for external funding for the gardens.