One of the main consultations that's going on at the moment is about what improvements can be made to the various parks in the city. Cotham only really has one (plus a couple of green slivers), which is Cotham Gardens, next to Redland station. It's the purple blob in the middle at the bottom of the map (left - click to enlarge).The Council is suggesting a number of ideas for how this coud be improved in coming years. Paraphrasing from the full document, these are:
- Enhance the children’s play space with varied equipment such as external table tennis tables and natural play equipment
- Create an area of wildflower meadow or natural planting on the slope in the eastern corner
- Improved pathways with some lighting
- Provide a sheltered teen seating area
- Create a picnic and barbecue area
- Enlarge the dog free area to cover the majority of the park, leaving Lovers Walk free for dog walking
There is a page on the Council website with more information about the consultation process and how people can contribute thoughts and ideas. This also covers the other parks in our Neighbourhood Partnership area - i.e. Redland Green and St Andrew's Park.
UPDATE : I have had a small number of e-mails from residents who have misunderstood the thrust of this consultation. For clarity, the ideas listed above are just that - they are not plans, proposals or done deals. They are meant to stimulate discussion and generate new ideas. Not all (and maybe none) will be done - conversely, there may be new ideas that work better. Also, the improvement strategy is for 20 years, so there is no rush to spend money during the current period of financial constraint - this is about what might be possible if/when the money exists.
3 comments:
Sometimes it's good planning and good management to recognise limitations.
I live in Redland and regularly visit this park with my kids.
Personally, I am horrified that improvements are to be paid for in this park in such a rich part of the city by selling parkland and open spaces in the poorer parts of town.
It is noticeable that none of the proposed disposals are in any of the wealthy parts of town.
harryT
HarryT - you are misunderstanding the policy again. The land which is being consulted on is land which is not well used and the money raised will be ploughed back into parks which are well used, regardless of where they are or are not. For example, places like Victoria Park and St George's Park will be far greater beneficiaries than Cotham Gardens.
As I've explained before, to call the spaces being consulted on 'parks' is misleading as few people would consider them as such and if there are some which are really highly valued by local people then they will be crossed off the list - that's what consultation means.
There are fewer spaces being consulted on in the 'richer parts of town' as most were sold off generations ago and the remaining spaces (like Cotham Gardens) are very well used.
It's worth pointing out that this policy was one which was launched under the last Labour administration, was softened through a Lib Dem campaign (less land, more money to parks) and was then agreed on a cross-party basis.
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