Vansittart Road
Recreation Ground Skate Park
One Year On
June 2002
Recent judgement
encourages residents
Windsor residents remain concerned about the Skate Park at Vansittart Recreation
Ground, completed in May 2001. Since that time there have been
many examples of noisy disturbances endured by nearby residents,
sometimes well into the night, and a significant increase in
vandalism and other anti-social behaviour. Some believe that
the local residents want the skate park closed but this is not
the case. The residents' argument is for the relocation of the skate park. With £1m reportedly up
for grabs for improvements at the Leisure Centre and expansion
of amenities, this seems an ideal opportunity to place the skate
park equipment there where all the related support services,
telephone, toilets, refreshments, first aid, etc. are readily
available. No such facilities are available at Vansittart Road
Recreation Ground.
Throughout last year local residents
were reporting the many problems that were occurring at the Skate
Park and these formed the basis of our various reports throughout
the year and are listed below.
Young children harassed
Of particular concern are the many occasions
of 'harassment' of younger children trying to use the swings
and roundabouts in the playground just 50 metres away. Parents
have regularly reported to us that teenagers commandeer the young
children's equipment and are offensive when asked to move away
to let the youngsters play.
We have reported problems such as these since the
park was first opened and the only response we have had from
the Borough is to 'wait and see', and that the problems will
go away when the novelty of the area wears off. Regrettably we
can see no end to the problem when teenagers act aggressively,
selfishly and rudely as a matter of course and on a daily basis.
There can be no improvement until action is taken to remove the
teenagers permanently by removing the attraction of the Skate
Park to the Leisure Centre where all the required facilities
and supervisory staff are readily available and where it rightly
belongs.
Intolerable Noise Levels
force removal of Skate Park
A recent legal judgement in Wiltshire required the relocation of a local
skate park on the grounds of intolerable noise levels. Residents
living in the vicinity of Vansittart Road Recreation Ground will
understand why the court found against the council in this matter
and trust that Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council will act
accordingly.
Skate Park User's Group
RBWM issued the following press release
on 11th June
Local people using the
popular Vansittart skatepark are being given the opportunity
to be involved in the way the facility is managed on a daily
basis.
The Royal Borough has sent out a call to all users
who would like to have a say in the future of the park to attend
a meeting which will be held within the next month.
Leaflets have been distributed to regular users in
a bid to find people of all ages who would be interested in being
part of a users' group to discuss the way the park is used, maintained
and managed. They could also help by letting the council
know about issues as they arise and assist in finding solutions.
Cllr Andrew Jenner, lead member for leisure and cultural
services, said the views of skatepark users were a key part of
the park's successful use and development in the future.
He said: "Once the users' group is up
and running we would expect it to meet two or three times a year
to keep up-to-date on what's happening at the park, identify
emerging issues and plan ahead. The group has the potential
for being an excellent way of sharing views and exchanging ideas
all contributing to the good overall management of the
park."
Anyone interested in attending user group meeting
is invited to contact Mike Jones, area manager, on 01628 796468.
We are rather bemused by
this initiative and see little value in meetings 'two or three
times a year'. We dispute that the Skate Park is 'popular' except
with a proportion of a certain age group. The Borough seem unaware
that there is a section of teenagers who positively dislike the
Skate Park facility and are even reluctant to go to the Recreation
Ground to play football, or ride bikes, etc. as the area has
become so unsavoury. It goes without saying that nearby residents
deem it decidely UNpopular.
This is probably a public relations exercise which
will have no discernible effect, similar to the Borough's claim
earlier in the year to be 'cracking-down' on graffiti in the
Borough yet which has resulted in the apprehension of not one
single vandal!
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GRAFFITI
LINE
01628 796150
Report graffiti
here.
The Borough
have claimed in the local press that it should be removed within
5 days or sooner. Racist or obscene graffiti should be removed
immediately. Please ring again if it is not!!
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Emergency
Telephone Numbers
Police 01753 506000
If you see someone damaging
the play area or skate park, spraying graffiti, or if you need
to report a disturbance or problem of any kind please ring the
local police 01753 506000. Even
if the police cannot attend, please ask for the incident to be
logged. If it is not
logged, then the Borough will not see the incident in the 'reported
figures' and will assume that all is fine and dandy!
RBWM
Office Hours
01628 796468
(Not Saturdays
or Sundays)
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RBWM Control Room
(Evenings
and weekends)
01753 853517
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