Local residents have contacted me to ask if I know what is happening in King Edward VII Park in Wembley where the sports field remains a churned up soggy mess surrouneed by fencing.
One resident wrote:
The main field of King Edwards Park is STILL fenced off (nearly 4 months now, despite a notice saying some disruption for up to 5 weeks) The West side of the park smells really bad….(drainage still an issue??) Lots of the regular users the joggers, walkers, dog owners, have stopped using it, and its getting quite ‘creepy’ walking in itdue to the big pile of sand, and the fence you can’t really see whats around the corner…..especially on these dark afternoons and mornings…The short reply is that poor drainage is being replaced but why the delay is a mystery. Weather may be blamed but actually it has been unusually mild or perhaps a spring has been discovered under what used to be a meadow. Whatever the answer what is not in doubt is that this is costing a considerable sum of money.
Also there has been a particularly unsavoury character hanging around the ‘bunker building’ who shouts and spits at passers by.
I’ve tried Brent Council, Parks dept. the local councillor but no response…so I was just wondering if you had any suggestions?
An FoI request got this response from the Council:
Which leaves £207,000 from Council funds.The total cost is approximately £300k of which £93k is grant funding from the Mayor of London (via The Football Foundation) sports facilities fund and Sport England ‘s Protecting playing fields fund.
UPDATE
Since publication Cllr Sam Stopp (Wembley Central) has written to the appropriate Brent Council Officer as below:
I have previously made enquiries (although not directed to you) about the situation in King Eddie's Park, Wembley Central. Several residents have brought to me concerns about developments in the park and I am asking that the Council clarifies matters.
Residents have raised a number of concerns, including the unexplained fencing off of the main field in the park, as well as a foul smell in the west side of the park (associated with drainage issues).
Please could we have some information about what on earth is going on? Ward councillors have not been informed and residents deserve to know. It was not that long ago that we saved the park from being built on - I had hoped its importance to the community would be better recognised as a result.
3 comments:
This was to provide 2 all weather football pitches and a cricket pitch. Despite the council saying earlier part of this year that the money had been ring fenced to provide improvements to drainage with them now on the verge of bankruptcy one wonders whether it shall remain like this indefinitely. As this particular park is protected by "Fields in Trust" perhaps they need to be given the heads up as to what is going on after all it is supposed to be protected in perpetuity.
I think you'll find that 'in perpetuity' means eternally, ceaselessly, immutably, forever and ever and ever and ever
(where economic circumstances allow)
I meant precisely that.
thank you
Post a Comment