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Why council chief got it wrong on barbecues
In complete disregard of the clearly expressed wishes of the local community, Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors have decided to impose a barbecue area on Woodhouse Moor.
The Liberal Democrat leader Richard Brett claims 71 per cent of those who returned survey forms supported a barbecue area (Letters, September 11).
He ignores the fact that the council's own figures show that no forms were returned from 299 of the 454 streets that were supposed to have received forms. Coun Brett says "No one wants late night drunken parties on the Moor with tree branches or picnic benches being burnt".
Statements like this sound good but mean nothing when they're not backed up by effective action. A designated barbecue area won't stop people getting drunk and it won't stop people pulling branches off trees.
The only measure that will stop such activities is enforcement of the bylaws. Coun Brett says this would be difficult without the support of the police but the police have stated publicly that if the council make an effort to enforce the bylaws, the police will give assistance if asked.
Coun Brett says, "A park must be for all who live nearby to use". What about the one-in-seven of local residents with breathing difficulties who will be unable to visit the park because of his decision?
What about the children whose parents won't let them visit the park because of the danger from burning coals?
What about the disabled people who are currently unable to visit the park because of the badly rutted paths, some of which could be repaired with the money being wasted on this barbecue area? Are not all of these groups entitled to use their local park ?
There has already been a trial barbecue area in 2006 which had to be abandoned because it was a complete failure.
So when Coun Brett says that he and the other Lib Dem councillors will "go back to the drawing board" if this latest trial barbecue area doesn't work, our fear is that they'll return from the drawing board with yet another trial barbecue area.
Martin Staniforth, Amit Roy, Sue Buckle, Philip Walshaw, Bill McKinnon, North Hyde Park Neighbourhood Association, Unity Day, South Headingley Community Association Marlborough Residents' Association, Friends of Woodhouse Moor
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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