From:
Colin Chalmers
Date:
Sep 03 13:34 UTC
Short link
I've forwarded this on behalf of Friends of Goodwood Park and Hodshrove Woods
at their request. Apologies for any crossposting.
Colin
We were pleased to read in City News that six of the cities parks have won
Green Flag awards celebrating parks that are "welcoming, safe, well maintained
and involve the local community."
However, while we are pleased Hove Park has a new 165,000 playground, there
seems little cash or enthusiasm for the park and woodland in one of the City's
poorest estates. We are talking about Goodwood Park and Hodshrove Woods in
Moulsecoomb, where for the past few years local residents have helped transform
the area, despite having to fight tooth and nail to get any improvements.
In fact Goodwood Park was ready to be dismantled by the council, after years of
neglect. We managed to fundraise and match-fund 60,000 to have it refurbished,
and recently young adults from the 67 Centre Youth Club raised money for more
equipment. Now the park is once again being heavily used.
The woods were in even more of a state with decades of fly-tipping. We raised
thousands to get rubbish removed, put in a decent path and generally made the
place cleaner and safer. We have also been organizing regular events
culminating in our biggest one to date, when this July we organized a woodland
fair attended by 300 people. This was a resounding success and shows that the
place is well loved and is a valuable green and recreational space.
However, the real disappointment was that we had to spend a sixth of our
festival budget on getting the grass cut in order for the event to happen. The
council had already informed us that from March of this year they would no
longer cut the grass. We then came to an agreement with the Community
Punishment Team that they would carry out the work. However, both they and the
East Brighton Green Team can only carry out limited maintenance and so the
grass grew and grew.
Now what? Does it mean it won't be cut again until we can fundraise? And just
how many funders will be willing to pay for what should be council work?
Do the local residents of Queens Park and Hove Park have to raise money to get
the grass cut in their local parks? We don't think so.
So why should one of the poorest areas in the City have to? Would it really
cost a fortune to cut the grass in the woods four or five times a year? All the
hard work and hard cash could so easily go down the drain, if the place once
again becomes neglected and a magnet for fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
All we ask is that our area be given the same respect afforded in other parts
of the City. 150 signed our petition at the Woodland Fair asking for the
council to do this.
Warren Carter, secretary
www.hodshrovewoods.org