Hard Decisions

Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions. Hedge End Town Council recently was faced with a request from the home of Hampshire Cricket, the Rose Bowl, to allow two of our recreation grounds to be used as car parks during future England Test Matches.

There has been a process of consultation including a public presentation by the Rose Bowl and their contractors at January's Town Council Meeting. In February the decision had to be made whether to continue negotiating with the Rose Bowl, or not.

After an excellent debate including contributions from members of the public, Council narrowly agreed in principle that Greta Park and Turnpike Way recreation grounds can be used for Test Match parking provided acceptable terms and conditions can be agreed. A close vote normally shows that there are good arguments on both sides, and that is certainly true in this case. It is not an easy thing to give up these two central public open spaces for a period of up to five days. There are reassurances to be had about the impact of the additional traffic, marshalling and stewarding, access for the regular hirers of the Turnpike Way pavilion and making good any damage to the turf.

The Rose Bowl are a very professional organisation, and if they want to be granted repeat Test Matches, they have to show that their parking arrangements work. We are confident that these details can be worked out before the first Test Match in 2011. We also know that the Rose Bowl are willing to put something back into the community of Hedge End in return for giving up those parks for five days every couple of years.

That could be a simple financial transaction, paying for each car parked, or they could assist our local young cricket players through coaching, or provide grants for other community benefits. Now that agreement in principle is in place we can start discussing specific proposals. But the reciprocal benefits were not the only reasons for agreeing to this proposal. The Rose Bowl do their best to be good neighbours, and listen to complaints and problems caused by their activities. It is recognised that uncontrolled and sometimes illegal parking during Rose Bowl events has been a problem. It is hard to say no to the Rose Bowl when they come up with a proposal for providing more controlled parking. There will probably always be people who park illegally, but the more controlled parking that is available, the less need there should be for visitors to our area to block driveways.

Traffic jams on Tollbar Way are a frequent problem, not just during events at the Rose Bowl. These proposals will direct a proportion of Test Match traffic onto the motorway avoiding Tollbar Way. It won't be perfect; it's not a complete solution, but it has to help. It has been suggested that sufficient parking should have been provided when the Rose Bowl was built, but the problem is not just about spaces for the cars, it's about traffic congestion as well. Car parking on these parks will be an inconvenience for the five days when Test Matches are on, but if our local dog walkers and others who use the parks for informal games and recreation can find alternatives, we will be supporting the Rose Bowl project which will bring prestige to the area and a major boost to the local economy.