Greta Park row raises a bigger question....

By TGRWorzel | Sunday, May 30, 2010, 23:06

The issue of temporary car-parking on Greta Park has generated more than the usual level of discussion on this site, which is pleasing, but it occurs to me that we're losing sight of another issue.

Keith House has come in for a bit of flak here recently (reasonably so), for having a finger in too many pies, but I do recognise there are times when we can only get things done by having somebody in a position of power who is able to press all the right buttons and make things happen...

I dare say that if Eastleigh Borough Council were proposing to do something much more sensible, such as (OK, I'm stuck for an idea now..!), creating a Council-run, Borough-wide, car-sharing scheme, targetting people who only need a car for a few hours every week, it would be really useful having somebody at the helm who can make such things happen...

The flip-side is that such power is a real problem when it is focussed on the wrong things and used to trample all over the objections to damn-fool ideas such as using Greta Park for temporary car-parking for Rose-Bowl events....

We need a way of moderating such power and influence.

Perhaps we should always have a local referendum on contentious issues, particularly the Greta Park one...!

And I don't mean a poxy, easily fiddled questionaire in the local Lib Dems Standpoint flysheets. It needs to be a proper independently run referendum, conducted via the ballot box. Perhaps when the local elections are held in May each year...

I'd be more inclined to accept the result of such a referendum on Greta Park, than if the decision were imposed upon me by the Council...

What do you think...?

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Comments

Apologies Ive posted on the Greta issue not the charging for facilities will re-post.

By sla100 at 16:08 on 15/05/11
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This is interesting, my fourteen year old son is an avid BMX rider, he uses Woodhouse frequently, but also travels to other parks, Southsea for instance has a park on the commen, it has a small caferteria where the kids can buy snacks and they charge for entry. If you do both sessions, the second finishing at 6pm I believe, the cost is £7.00. Hoglands Park along with Freespace in Chandlers ford are free. I appreciate there is a lot of money involved in setting these places up, but I spend half my life driving him around, and all these parks are very well used and the kids respect the facility. There is an indoor park in Corby, Northants which is meant to be the pinnacle place in the UK and the cost of both sessions there the last finishing at 9pm is £11.00. Ive taken a load of them up there twice. The issue with charging is that you then get into Health and Safety etc, you would need people on site constantly whilst the park was opening and not just someone taking the money. Although Corby is manned by mainly volunteers and I beleive is a registered Charity, there would be cost issue regarding paying people to monitor the sessions, being trained in first aid etc. I for one welcome this kind of facility, it means the kids arent hanging out on the street causing trouble and it keeps my boy away from the PC, and XBOX (which he actually sold to buy bits for his bilke)

By sla100 at 16:07 on 15/05/11
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Yes, I'd wondered about the Bursledon site Andy. Its an obvious solution, until you remember that Test Matches tend to span the weekend and there's a big car boot sale at Bursledon every Sunday...

As for why Hedge End? Well it would be unfair not to point out that a lot of Hedge Enders think the Rose Bowl is in Hedge End. Techinically it isn't, but its so close I could hear every word of Status Quo "Rocking all over the world" with my doors and windows firmly closed, a couple of years ago...!

By TGRWorzel at 22:30 on 31/05/10
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Something is getting me with this and that is why Hedge End. Plus the fact why don't they do what they do when a Southampton football match is on and use that huge area by bursledon tescos where they hold the market and have a bus transfer system. It works for southampton FC so why not put it in the same place.

By Andy_H1 at 13:08 on 31/05/10
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That, of course, is the problem.
But the current situation isn't satisfactory either.

By TGRWorzel at 10:32 on 31/05/10
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