New BMX track, improved tennis courts and football pitches in huge plans approved for Longford Park

A £6m plan to totally transform Longford Park in Stretford includes a BMX new pump track and improvements to tennis courts and football pitches. There will also be improvements to the children's play equipment, Pets Corner, the cafe and Firswood Community Centre, as well as upgrades to cricket and disk golf.

Included in the project will be the repair and conversion of Long Barn into a volunteering, training and skills hub. The three-year scheme for Longford Park in Stretford will get started after Trafford council,’s cabinet agreed to accept a £3.1m contribution from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), with the rest of the money coming in ‘matched funding’ by the council from various sources.

A report to the cabinet said that the project complements the transformation of Stretford town centre - currently under construction - and The Civic Quarter, providing a ‘major public park to meet the needs of planned residential growth’. Coun Liz Patel said: "This is a project of borough-wide significance for Trafford. Longford Park is our biggest park and draws visitors from across the borough and beyond.

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“We have made good progress on securing matched funding and will continue those efforts, looking for any possible funding sources from partners, external grants and Section 106 contributions.” The plan included improvements to lighting, footpaths, roads, entrances and access points across the park.

Meanwhile, art deco shelters, formal gardens - including a toilet block - walled gardens and community allotment, and Longford Hall will also be restored. Shared space for Scouts and community use will be created at the Shippon building and there will be new