Destroying the St Johns Road Recreation Ground
By TGRWorzel | Monday, December 14, 2009, 12:01
The winter 2009 Hedge End Gazette has a lovely picture on the front cover, of the St Johns Road Recreation Ground as it is now. On the back cover is a picture of what it is to become.
Bearing in mind that this is the last surviving piece of open space that was once Botley Common, I don't think the Council should be doing what they propose. The recreation ground should be for everybody to enjoy. People wanting a bit of peaceful rest and relaxation live in Hedge End too, particularly older people living in the retirement home literally next door to this park. Hedge End is not just about people with children, everybody needs to be considered and there's more than enough play equipment already in Hedge End. In my opinion this is just another of the Town Councils ill-considered scheme's, desperate to spend money in order to claim that they are doing things for the community and win local votes, but what they are actually doing is destroying Hedge End and its character.
One of the side-effects of the scheme, for instance, is that it will attract people from the wider area, causing even more parking chaos in the roads surrounding the recreation ground. It is bad enough in the summer with the paddling pool...
So I think it is about time the Lib Dems were kicked-out of office in Hedge End: they've done a great deal of damage to Hedge End over the years and do not really have its best interests at heart, only their own...
Comments
The Gazettes quite a good read actually, I would almost go as far as saying that I look forward to receiving it....!
Its a good answer too Keith, thanks for taking the time, but my point about the impact of additional vehicles trying to park in surrounding rounds seems to have been completely ignored again. I don't think the Council really understand how much of a problem it can be. Even one of the Council officials parked partially across my driveway earlier this year, when toddling off to the Rec with her measuring tape...
And I'm not sure that the Trustees of the Rec (i.e. Town Council) should really be the same people that have a political interest in siting ever increasing amounts of play equipment there...
By TGRWorzel at 21:36 on 16/12/09
ReportIt's good to know that the Gazette is read and doesn't go straight in your bin!
About 80% of the new play area is replacing the old play equipment that was there already, so the incremental impact on the rec is really quite minimal. I don't think it would ever happen that the rec could be "destroyed" as you fear. Due to its history, the Town Council are trustees, not owners, and any installation proposals are done in consultation with the charity commission. The Town Council is also very aware that the carnival uses the rec to assemble the procession so a large amount of open space will always be maintained for those of all ages who want space for quiet relaxation.
A lot of older people also like to have somewhere to take their grandchildren when they visit!
By Keith_Day at 21:20 on 16/12/09
ReportOK, in the interests of being fair, I'll note that the picture on the back page of the Hedge End Gazette is oriented in a different direction to the picture on the front cover and the scheme may not be quite as damaging as comparison of those images initially suggest, but the basic points remain valid. Another section of the old Botley Common is being destroyed and there are spin-off implications of such developments that as always, the Council seem to ignore, or don't care about...
By TGRWorzel at 15:45 on 15/12/09
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