DARLINGTON’S newest public park was officially opened yesterday. In a town with at least 10 other public parks that might not sound particularly significant, but the Blackwell parkland has its roots in the “butcher’s gate” furore of five years ago when scores and scores of trees in the town’s leafy west end were sacrificed to the developers.

That was such a significant controversy that it contributed to the council changing political hands and the Greens gaining their first toe-hold. The parkland is a response to the many local residents who campaigned tirelessly to save and improve their natural environment.

But the parkland is also a compromise. The Blands Corner end of the site has been sold off for housing, which is helping to fund the creation and maintenance of the parkland. In an ideal world, there would be no housing, but we don’t live in an ideal world.

In fact, as the council has owned Blackwell Grange since 1950, it is something of a miracle that there is still green space there – developers in the 1960s and 1970s didn’t mind what they threw up on municipal land.

Now the parkland guarantees that open green space will remain into the future. It is not going to be hyper-maintained like the show park of South Park over the road; instead it is going to have wild, bio-diverse areas of native flowers and trees with paths winding through.

Plus the project – a joint effort between Homes by Esh and the council – has hugely improved the visual welcome to the town by restoring the lengthy brick walls on the A167.

The parkland is not perfect, but it will be a real asset to the people who live in that corner of town – just as all the parks are to residents across the borough.