Free Parking

The tireless and extremely patient John Urquhart, founder member of Save Newcastle Wildlife and now posting as Cities 4 People sent this a few days ago:

"The following Focus newsletter item was picked up in an anti-litter drive on Armistice Day:

Row Over Park's Trust Appointments

Newcastle Lib Dems have raised serious concerns after several people with direct business interests in parks were appointed to the new Trust which will run the City's Parks - including a senior executive from an organisation which not only runs projects in our parks already but which also employs the Labour Councillor in charge of parks.  The Trust's rules will allow organisations in which Trustees have a personal interest to enter into contracts with the Trust, provided these interests are duly declared.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Ciaran Morrissey said "Many people will be concerned by this news.  While we understand that the Cabinet member recused herself from the panel which appointed her employer, several of the new Trustees have close connections with the Council.  The lack of park users, volunteers or community representatives on the board is really disappointing."

Following the board appointments, the Council is now struggling to recruit a Chief Executive.  Initial applicants were deemed to be unsuitable for the role.  "The Trust is lurching from crisis to crisis before it has even got started," added Ciaran.  "We truly fear for the future of our Parks under this pointless vanity project."


You read that correctly: Our 'Labour' local council is going to give public parks to business people to have and to hold on long leases. What could possibly go wrong? Well, I suppose compared to losing a Grade II Listed building to arson, it is no big thing ...

Meanwhile, Battlefield embraces autumn, finally. Recently I came upon a reference to the name Shieldfield Green attached to this piece of non-public space. That would make an excellent name for park, don't you think?

Link to photographic album here (off site link).