In need of park ideas
A park in Southwell plagued by vandalism looks set for a new lease of life.
Town councillors want residents’ ideas on how to improve the Norwood Gardens play area.
The equipment has been branded dangerous and teenage gangs who regularly meet there to drink alcohol are deterring family use.
Town councillor Mr Peter Harris said they wanted to encourage more people to use the park, which is next to Southwell Trail.
Residents can give suggestions at a community picnic in the park on Saturday, June 28.
Mr Harris said: “What we want to do is think about the way forward for the play park.
“We had some problems and vandalism including an incident where someone used a set of spanners to take all the bolts off the wooden climbing frame.”
He said ideas included taking down the hedge next to the park so people could see it was there. There could also be new play equipment to replace or complement the two swing sets, the climbing frame, the slide and see-saw.
Youngsters had planned to meet town councillors on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of a skate park, but that meeting was cancelled and replaced with the picnic.
“It is not about campaigning for a skate park and getting the community involved with that,” Mr Harris said.
“We want to open up the whole thing rather than looking at one particular idea.
“We need to look at all the playing fields in the town as a whole and create a plan for each of them.”
Southwell’s events and tourism co-ordinator, Mrs Honor Dunkley, who is organising the picnic, said they hoped it would attract more people than a meeting — residents could come along with their children.
“We want to engage residents because we are keen to regenerate and revitalise that area and we can see what ideas people come up,” she said.
A time for the picnic, which will include children’s games, is yet to be decided.
Residents of Norwood Gardens were keen to attend and want the play area improved.
They include Mrs Gemma Dixon (24) who said she did not take her son, Rocky (4) there because the equipment was dangerous for him.
“I would rather take him to the park in the centre of town because it is better for his age group,” she said.
“The slide on the park here has three ways up to it but they are all really steep and I can see a child falling off it. The equipment is more suitable for seven or eight year olds.”
Her garden backs on to the play area and she often saw groups of teenagers in the park drinking.
“They often sit on the slide and the climbing frames so children can’t get anywhere near them,” she said.
She would like facilities for a broad age range and suggested a shelter as somewhere for older children to meet.
Miss Katie Prestage (30) of Norwood Gardens, also rarely used the play area with her children, Joseph (8) and Nia (5).
She said: “The equipment there is rubbish. They need more things for them do.”
She also said teenagers used the park as somewhere to meet and drink.
“The teenagers here are all pretty soft but they’ve got a bad reputation because they don’t get many opportunities,” Miss Prestage said.
She would like to see areas for teenagers and for smaller children.
“My son was quite excited about the idea of the skate park and said he would like to take up skateboarding,” she said.
Mrs Mavis Day (66) of Norwood Gardens, said a minority of teenagers caused problems.
“They have set fire to the hedges before and we’ve had the fire brigade down here,” she said.
“They also ride motorbikes on there which they shouldn’t.”
She feared that equipment for teens, such as a shelter, would encourage more of them to drink in the park, and suggested installation of security cameras.
She would like more play equipment for younger children, and also picnic tables.
Mrs June Booth (62) of Norwood Gardens, said: “I would like to see something like sandpits and things for little children.”
