What a shame

park381 · 03-10-2008, 19:46

LET Thursday 2nd October

Oswaldtwistle park's £1m lottery bid rejected (From Lancashire Telegraph)

What can you say about that.
I take my hat off to Neil & the friends of Rhyddings Park for saying that they will continue to bid for grants to complete the planned work, which includes improvements to pathways and drainage.

Are repairs to pathways not HBC's responsibility, are the parks not allocated a "maintenance budget"

How much has HBC spent on maintenance in Rhyddings Park over the last 10 years.............not a lot, or should that be nothing at all

Should HBC not be repairing paths and sorting out drainage in the park as an on going maintenance project, or should we say " Planned Maintenance"

What a sad mess Rhyddings Park has become, all because of the lack of maintenance budgets not being spent where they should be.

garinda · 03-10-2008, 19:55

It is a shame the bid for Lotto money wasn't successful. However the park, and others in the area, used to be maintained to a much higher standard, without the need to go cap in hand as a 'worthy cause'.

The paths aren't just unsightly they are dangerous.

I guess councils of years gone by were better at using money from our rates, which saw well cared for paths, tennis courts, a putting green, two top rate bowling greens, a paddling pool, beautiful flower beds supplied by the park's own green houses, and even paid for the services of a park keeper who chased out those who ventured in after dark.

AccyLass28 · 03-10-2008, 20:01

Are there no people to help, I mean volunteer with keeping the park tidy and stuff, obviously not fixing important things that will need doing I just mean helping with the general stuff so money could be spent elsewhere

Obviously I know nothing about the maintenance of the park, I'm just asking

katex · 03-10-2008, 20:06

Yes, 'tis sad, I don't think Rhyddings is too bad actually, presume you have read the threads on Milnshaw Park ... now that is a dump... hope they obtain the lottery funding they have applied for.

Again, only so much money in the pot for the HBC maintaining these parks ...

(without increasing council tax !)

park381 · 03-10-2008, 20:18

All sections of a council have/had a budget for maintenance, and for planned maintenance, be it for adverts, be it for what ever. The Parks section of HBC has/had a budget, both for what they call day/day maintenance and planned maintenance. What have they done with it over the last 25 years

So the question is asked what has the park's budget been spent on, not on the parks.

The decline of Rhyddings Park has been over the last 25 years. Maintenance funds were plentiful in those days.

AccyLass28 · 03-10-2008, 20:21

So they are given a 25 yr budget so to speak?

25 yrs before?

Or they have a yearly budget that obviously aint enough cos it hasn't sorted everything?

park381 · 03-10-2008, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

only so much money in the pot for the HBC maintaining these parks ...

(without increasing council tax !)

Kate, we are not talking of the present here we are talking of the last 25 years.
I have watched Rhyddings Park in the decline, living facing the park for 27 years.
Things in local gov. were not as "tight" 25 years ago, councils used to have a "get it spent month" before the end of March. Money would be spent on anything and every thing, but obviously not Rhyddings Park.

Lilly · 03-10-2008, 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I guess councils of years gone by were better at using money from our rates, which saw well cared for paths, tennis courts, a putting green, two top rate bowling greens, a paddling pool, beautiful flower beds supplied by the park's own green houses, and even paid for the services of a park keeper who chased out those who ventured in after dark.

In years gone by parks didn't suffer the trouble they do now.

They now suffer so much vandalism so it seems to me that the reason we don't have the things you mentioned is because it costs too much money to provide these things and then to have to constantly fork out for repairs/replacements due to vandalism.

In this age of the personal injury claim, nothing can be seen to be unsafe or have the potential to cause injury.....so best not put it there in the first place.

That's just my take on it.

WillowTheWhisp · 03-10-2008, 21:26

Bullough Park is a disgrace too. It's not fit to call a park and the path down to Perth Street is like something from Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

garinda · 03-10-2008, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilly

In years gone by parks didn't suffer the trouble they do now.

They now suffer so much vandalism so it seems to me that the reason we don't have the things you mentioned is because it costs too much money to provide these things and then to have to constantly fork out for repairs/replacements due to vandalism.

In this age of the personal injury claim, nothing can be seen to be unsafe or have the potential to cause injury.....so best not put it there in the first place.

That's just my take on it.

Within my not that old a memory the council had a park warden, whose twenty four hour presence deterred vandalism, and those seeking to do mischief, and funded via our rates. Vandalism is nothing new, and is certainly not an excuse for properly maintaining the paths, and draining the playing field.

As for now living in an injury claim culture, the terrible state of the park paths mean that more accidents will happen, and as I believe our council pay out on any claim submittted without defending the action, in the short, as well as long term, it makes very little economic sense, even by H.B.C.'s standards.

Lilly · 03-10-2008, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Within my not that old a memory the council had a park warden, whose twenty four hour presence deterred vandalism, and those seeking to do mischief, and funded via our rates. Vandalism is nothing new, and is certainly not an excuse for properly maintaining the paths, and draining the playing field.

As for now living in an injury claim culture, the terrible state of the park paths mean that more accidents will happen, and as I believe our council pay out on any claim submittted without defending the action, in the short, as well as long term, it makes very little economic sense, even by H.B.C.'s standards.

I know vandalism is nothing new but it wasn't as bad 50 years ago as it is now.

Nothing's safe these days. Agreed, we could do with a return to the park warden but, as has been discussed on the corporal punishment thread, he would have very little powers these days and would probably be beaten up if he dared to challenge anyone.