Salford City Council rejects calls for CCTV and floodlighting after a memorial bench for a Holocaust survivor was destroyed and discarded in the lake. 

This week Salford City council released their findings regarding the state of security of a local park in Broughton.

Clowes Park, which is at the heart of Greater Manchester’s Jewish community, is used regularly by families in the surrounding area, home to a children’s playground and a duck pond, things which for most would insinuate a safe family environment.

There have been calls from the community in the area to implement security measures in the park for the safety of regular park goers. 

The bench, which contained a testimony, was dedicated to Chaim Ferster, who survived over 5 Nazi death camps including Auschwitz, and moved to Cheetham hill a few years ago. 

Salford Mayor Paul Denett called for the council to “urgently explore, all feasible options to improve safety in the park” because of this destruction. 

The council meeting saw lead member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety Councillor Barbara Benthem address the issues of safety in the park.

She said, “Our review has considered a range of measures to strengthen security”.

“CCTV and floodlighting were explored however a significant challenge is that there is no current power supply within the park to support the installation”. 

She then went on to say, “This doesn’t close the door on any future opportunities”. 

The park is part of Greater Manchester Police’s regular patrol routes and even has their own ranger.

This was not the first instance of anti-social behaviour in the park, as in 2023 a teenager was fatally stabbed.

Clowes Park is known in the community for being victim to myriads of crimes involving public sex and drugs, the memorial bench was the turning point for even further calls to action.