A bumpy 10 days, petitions, panic, purported proposals has ended with a new park layout that everyone seems satisfied with. The phantom threat that there would not be a skater facility was shown not to be true and the suggestion that the wider recreation facilities would be removed has been abandoned. So, like the Grand Old Duke of York the troops were marched up the hill and then marched down again. The meeting at St John’s Primary School on 28 January was shown a plan which has been agreed by Planning, not much different to that set out in the planning application approved in March 2018. Pretty much as promised to all parties.
Mysteries still abound – who did the Council talk to about the design of the skater facility and where did the idea that this was not enough to “honour the commitment” come from? Was the overspend £250,000 or £125,000 and when and how was the budget made to balance? Why was there talk of new lighting and paths when that had been agreed in March?
None of it matters; the skaters said they were happy with the facility being offered, the main park users are happy; the builders can now finish the job. Council Officers, much maligned, came through with the goods. The last bumpy bit will be the concrete area surrounding the 13 metre skater patch. As we said in our last post “The last days of February may bring news” and they did.
Peace should reign!
