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Update 13th July 2001

Vansittart Road Recreation Ground

It's Open!!
And residents had their fun and games

Friday 2nd July 2001

Vansittart Rec Index

cleaning up before the opening

Work proceeds apace to clean the ramps at Vansittart Skate Park
as the Opening Ceremony begins

The Royal Borough were keen to show Vansittart Road Recreation Ground at its best for the Grand Opening on Friday afternoon. With face painting, a balloon magician, sandwiches and snacks plus a bouncy castle, there was much to entertain the children, quite apart from the gleaming slides, swings, roundabouts and other play equipment, newly repainted for the day following six weeks of use.

Beside the children's play area, the contentious Skate Park was hurriedly returned to 'as new' condition with pressure cleaning equipment to remove the graffiti that had accumulated over the last six weeks. Little could be done, however, to disguise the charred area of tarmac which had seen a stolen car set ablaze the previous morning.

braving the rain

A few hardy residents brave the rain at the Opening Ceremony

With patchy cloud and blue sky to the north, and thunder clouds to the south, it was a gamble what weather would eventually win the day. No, it wasn't a gamble. It was a racing certainty of course! And so within half an hour the guests were soaked to the skin as quite the heaviest rain imaginable fell for a few minutes, sandwiched between the ordinary stuff.

new play area

Dark clouds and rain spoil the fun and games at Vansittart Rec Opening

But this did not dampen the determination of local residents to make their views and concerns very clear about how the project had been implemented, and also taking the opportunity to hand over the latest newsletter to both councillors and Borough officials highlighting the causes and proposing solutions to the current problems.

opening speech

Councillor John Webb, Deputy Mayor, delivering the opening speech

Following the ceremony further discussions took place with residents, councillors and borough representatives making sure that the many complaints that have arisen in the last six weeks were covered and talked over in depth.

With several possibilities on the cards, the Borough have invited a group of local residents to a meeting in the next two weeks so that all the recent problems can be thoroughly aired and the Borough's solutions examined.

Perhaps the most encouraging point to arise from the meeting at Vansittart Road Rec today was that if the steps planned by the Borough fail to meet their objectives, then 'a paper will be placed before the council' making provision for the skate area to be relocated in another, more suitable, part of the town. We would wholeheartedly support this step, and encourage the Borough to take the opportunity to provide an even better skate area with every possible amenity, properly supervised, that residents, and the Borough, can be proud of.

Vansittart Recreation Ground Index Page

Read about Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council's
(failed) plans to build on Vansittart Rec in 1947, 1952 and 1989

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Stories from 2001

Stories from 1999-2000

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