Hands On Our Park website (unofficial) - latest news 14 July 2006
New barrier
First a totally inadequate barrier was put in to stop quad bikes and motorbikes from gaining access to the park.
The bar is too high for horses to step over (it's a bridle way) and the gap at the side means people just go round.
Finally, months later, a simple, cheap and totally effective solution has been found. Look at this - two blocks of wood and the problem is solved.
How about some more imaginative, inexpensive solutions to some of the problems in the park?
Click the little photo to see it in more detail.
Scrutiny Management Board 30 June 2006
Very (well quite!) encouraging news. More details to follow, but a member of HOOP reports very hard questions being asked by councillors of officers. Critical comments about the lack of real consultation with actual users of the park, searching questions about the vagueness of the proposals, scorn being poured on the idea of housing along the old school site - all good. One senior officer said 'there are people out there who will stop at nothing to sabotage our plans!'
No, Mr Odunaiya, not at all - only the wrong-headed and destructive ones, we are all in favour of improving the park.
Councillors feel the lottery bid was rushed, the Town Park plans came out prematurely to support that bid.
We feel a slow-down coming on and possibly even some real consultation.
Keep it up, we're doing well!
On the other hand...
... we hear rumours of a compulsory purchase order on the row of houses along Stirchley road, backing on to the Grange Avenue playing fields (Brookfields). This is possibly linked to the development of the new schools on the site. Watchfulness needed.
Three Oaks Primary School (Stirchley) "Summer Extravaganza" 24 June 2006.
The HOOP stall, manned by Ann Stevens and Rob Breeze, attracted a lot of interest and support from visitors, with many people signing our petition.
We gave out leaflets and stickers and had a display showing the proposed changes to the Town Park boundary. The school itself is to be demolished to make way for yet more housing, and rebuilt on the playing fields opposite the Lord Silkin School.
The council claim that building three schools and a family centre (together, presumably with the library and community centre) on the new site will cause no loss of playing fields!!
Following the failure of their lottery bid (update 2 July) ...
... the Council are considering applying for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (Parks for People section). That should be interesting - it looks as though the council will have to concede, and prove, that people DO use the park. You can read more about this here. There is also a website called 'Love Parks' which you might be interested in.
- Friends of Telford Town Park have gained lottery funding to (finally!) do something about the dreadful state of the Sensory Garden. Owned and neglected by the Council. Having been told in the past that this would be too expensive, because under contracts Telford & Wrekin Services would have to do the work, we are pleased a compromise had been found. Good to see this group galvanised into action!
- Congratulations to the Leegomery Residents, who have beaten off a threat to fill in an underpass heavily used by their children.
More here. - They think we aren't watching ... from a member of Hoop: "last week we saw a chap sitting in a Toyota pick up in the coal yard parked facing the Silkin Way Footpath, ticking off the passers by onto a form on a clip board, i.e walkers, cyclist, etc...."
- And ... some new benches have appeared - what do you think?
If you would like to join a discussion about them, please visit our discussion board at http://www.telfordtownpark.org.uk
(The discussion forum at the official Town Park site, www.telfordtownpark.co.uk, has been unavailable for several weeks).
Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council have obtained a £50k grant to set up a Heritage Trail. Excellent news! Read about it on their website.
- The Parish Council have recently carried out their own local survey questionnaire on people's views on the council's plans. Results available soon from the parish council.
- We are planning a genuine footfall surey of the park.
- We are working on alternative proposals for the improvement of the park.
- Our petition is still circulating and will be presented to the council shortly.
- The steering group continues to meet fortnightly.
- We still intend to hold a meeting for representatives of interested groups such as local athletic clubs, Aqueduct History Society and other park users.