[Acrylic-bob]

Before we all get too excited about the amounts of money there is available, consider this. Not too many years ago HBC decided that we should celebrate the gift of the rock gardens in Oak Hill Park. The stream that is supposed to run through them from top to bottom has never been much more than a damp stain and a couple of sludgy puddles for as long as I can remember it.

So HBC decided to chuck an astonishing amount of money at it to get it all spruced up and looking bonny. I think the figure was in the region of £30,000, though I could be wrong. Go and have a look at it today; broken paths, patchy planting, overgrown with weeds, the pond at the bottom was planted with a species of reed which have been allowed to run riot and now clog it completely. And the stream...still a damp stain and a couple of sludgy puddles.

You see, HBC are very good at spending lots of money to "improve" things. But they are not too hot at finding the funding for maintenance. Loads of cash for short term cosmetics but nothing for the day to day bills that keep places of interest ticking over. This is the main reason why the parks are in such a state.

So any money that comes from the lottery to improve public parks had better have with it a fairly substantial ring-fenced maintenance grant, or in twelve months there will be little to show for the hard work and money spent.