No green to be seen on a parched Fylde coast

The bowling greens at Stanley Park have turned white...

With no rain water for more than three weeks, trees and bushes are shedding their leaves and grass is turning white due to the drought.

Some of the parks in Blackpool are suﬀering badly from the lack of water with Stanley Park’s bowling green’s turning white and some trees are looking bare without their leaves. Lytham Green has also turned rather bare.

A spokeswoman for Blackpool Council said it is unable to maintain all of its parks and greenery during the heatwave season.

Leaves have been falling from trees as well.

She said: “Unfortunately we are suﬀering extensively with the hot weather and the ground is extremely dry.

“It’s not possible to water all our sites, grass verges and ecological areas.”

She also explained the council is only maintaining the key parts of Stanley Park.

She added: “Our priority sites are the areas that we are only able to attend to and water,these being the Italian Gardens and Café Terrace bedding in Stanley Park.

“We are also trying to water some of our bowling greens, but not all.”

A spokesman for Fylde Council said the unprecedented weather has had an effect on the environment and like Blackpool Council it is trying to maintain key parts of its sites including

Lowther Gardens in Lytham and areas near Fairhaven Lake.

They added: “While we do aim to look after all of our parks and greenery, unfortunately we cannot manage every part of it during the heatwave.

“We have been looking after main areas such as Lowther Gardens and Fairhaven.”

This follows the news that United Utilities is urging people across the region to conserve water in order to avoid a hosepipe barn.

Due to the heatwave more people have been using their hosepipes and sprinklers in order to prevent damage to gardens and grass but United Utilities says if it continues there could be no water left.

A spokesman for the water supply company said: “You can help us by turning oﬀ your garden sprinklers, not using your hosepipes, not washing your car and taking shorter showers and not baths.

Another view of the bowling greens at Stanley Park.

“If we can all do our bit this will reduce the risk of lower water pressure or no water at all.”

With no rain falling for more than three weeks, the heatwave has continued for a long period.

The next expected rainfall due across the Fylde Coast is next Monday.