Following continued damage to locks and the gates wilfully carried out we have reluctantly authorised the welding of the gates shut on a temporary basis. In this we match our colleagues in Avenues Ward who saw the large entrance off Ella Street closed off also to protect their residents' local residential amenity which also suffered by the anti-social elements who used the field. (indeed also colleagues in other wards as well).
Talks are under way (and have been for a while) with a "blue chip" sporting provider and they ahve approached the owners of the largest portion of that area to try and get a good package put together. We are actively encouraging this and have allocated staff time to try and make this happen as we pursue a "Cropton park style solution". We believe in access to open space and belieev this way we will achieve it without encouraging the anti-social use it has been put to.
We welcome the talks recently, between John and the Sports Portfolio holder, to provide greater support to our efforts being willing to work with anyone for a common good.
It is to be hoped this will soon reopen and, if the Blue chip talks break down then John and Andrew are committed to a "Plan B" which will turn it into a mini-park and believe the access issues can be sorted if an exciting initiative John Robinson is pursuing (and I am supporting) for the "back block" of the former Newland School comes off. We very much hope for "Plan A" because that involves us in less expense and reduces the need to delineate the (rather small percentage) of land the council owns and fence off the other piece. In the era of cutbacks we will also have to consider charging for cutting their land.
