Blyth Ridley Park (1 Viewer)

[Alan G]

So there I was looking forward to the coming Autumn and a few early, morning wanderings in the tranquil setting of my my local park (Ridley Park, Blyth) which has had a bit of a rep for migrants over the years due to its habitat and proximity to the coast, when I happened to pass it this evening en route to the 'offy' for a well-earned bottle of red.

The sight that befell me was enough to force me to buy an extra bottle of wine, purely to settle me nerves, you realise!.

They've only gone and built some kind of miniature/psuedo ''Wet & Wild'' ensemble of pools & fountains and water cannon (water bliddy cannon yu knaa - jeez!) for kids to play with.

And, like moths to a flame, there they were - humans and their retchid offspring......in their hundreds!

:storm:

Of course I shouldn't begrudge them, as they have very little in the way of places to play, but whatever happened to playing on building sites or on the roads, or in disused mine workings like we used to when we were young?

:stuck:

So, I'm now hoping for a long & bitterly cold Autumn with bitingly cold North Easterlies that not even the hardiest rugrat can endure so, with any luck, I can still have the place to myself........myself and some decent Autumn migrants that is!!



Alan

 

[Keith Reeder]

From Blyth Valley council website, posted on 1 July:

Blyth's latest watering hole
A splashing, new paddle area and improved play facilities were given a, 'not so dry run' this week at Blyth's historic leisure landmark - Ridley Park.

A class from Sure Start, Blyth, enjoyed testing the new facilities, which includes a state-of-the-art water play spray, before they are open to the general public at the end of next week (Friday 8 July).

The refurbishment has been broken down into discrete phases to make sure that park users don't experience any disruption. This new play area is part of the first phase, which is nearly complete and is focusing on the southern end of the park and includes the creation of a formal entrance and improved footpath network.

The £2.7 million improvement scheme will cover the whole park and will be delivered over the next two to three years subject to funding.

A feasibility study was carried out last year by Casella Stanger (Landscape Consultants) to identify the priorities and the project commenced in March 2005, following support from the Northumberland Strategic Partnership, Blyth Valley Borough Council and Sure Start.

The next phases will, subject to funding support from the Heritage Lottery, take the park, which celebrated it's centenary last year, back to a pristine condition in terms of paths, lighting and planting. There is a possibility of reinstating the bandstand and creating a new building to service the bowling clubs, tennis players and other park users.

Cabinet member for community, regeneration and culture, Councillor Bob Watson said: "This is the beginning of an exciting period of regeneration, not just for Ridley Park but for the whole of Blyth Valley. I am delighted with this first phase of re-development in the park, but not as pleased as the children who are in for a fantastic time!"

Another birding venue to kiss goodbye, along with all the open fields, wooded areas and moorland between Beacon Hill and Arcot Golf course in Cramlington, courtesy of our poxy council...

 

[rayl]

I heard a rumour that they were going to open an ice rink in the park this winter Alan.

Ray

Just too late, I guess Keith's post has wound you up enough already.

 

[Alan G]

And , I've just noticed today that they're also building on the land opposite Gosforth Park (I suppose the area's classed as West Moor).

Will councils ever stop developers from eating up our supposed green belt?

I suppose sheer bliddy greed and, no doubt, the occasional back-hander (followed by early retirement to one of the Costas) on the part of the council will ensure that the developers will always get their own way?

:storm:

Alan

 

[cuddy]

Re Blyth, they will not be plodging in October Alan.

Re Gosforth Park, North Tyneside Council, are the worst as far as letting developers build all over green belt, this area is a last stonghold for water vole but for how much longer

Brian R.

 

[MH68]

"I suppose sheer bliddy greed and, no doubt, the occasional back-hander (followed by early retirement to one of the Costas) on the part of the council will ensure that the developers will always get their own way?"

Can`t argue with that Alan.Cramlington`s particularly bad for the council building on any available land,as keith has hinted at.Noticed an area at Benton the other day supposedly "protected" for water voles which are/were present there.Apparently only the actual burrows are protected, and there is now a tiny bit of suitable habitat left for them, between industrial buildings and a geet big carpark.It`s a joke..........

Mark

 

[Keith Reeder]

What boils my p*** most of all is that living in SE Northumberland or N Tyneside, we're in relatively small, industialised parts of the country with precious little greenery to start with: yet every time I pick up one of the local free weekly papers I read that more of the local countryside has been given up to development.

I regularly visit the Blyth Valley council website but I never see these proposals documented at the Planning Permission Application stage, and by the time I and people like me find out about them it's too late to register complaints.

Alan will agree that he's seen nowt about the plans for Ridley Park - and it's too late now - and yet when I've collared councillors about the destruction of green spaces in BV, they've told me in all seriousness that the council's "doing it's bit to provide green spaces by creating a new turfed 5-a-side pitch next to the leisure centre..."

 

[MH68]

The trouble is, a lot of the time I`d imagine that any Laws/protection orders for certain species etc are conveniently overlooked/ignored when building work takes place.A mate does wildlife management plans etc and reckons there`s loads of cases where the required wildlife surveys aren`t undertaken.In cases like that it`s impossible to win, as once building has taken place and affected a particular species or habitat, it`s pointless reversing the process as the damage has already been done.

Mark

 

[Keith Reeder]

It's true, Mark - the environmental impact of greenfield developments is often ignored or at best, paid lip service to.

That said, a lot of what goes under concrete and tarmac up here is fairly average land - nothing "special" in terms of species or habitat: but the fact that there's so little of it to start with (and so many brownfield alternatives) makes me seethe.

It's rapidly getting to the stage where, if you want to get out into something akin to countryside, you'll have to leave the confines of Blyth Valley completely...

 

[Keith Reeder]

The West Moor development is on a brownfield site - there used to be a school there - so at least that's a "recycling" of land which was already in use rather than the loss of more green space.

As long as there's money to be made in selling off these sites to housing developers, I suppose I'm wasting my time hoping that - just now and again - they might turn brownfield sites back into something resembling countryside...

 

[MH68]

That`s the crux of the matter Keith, it all boils down to money at the end of the day, and there`s little we can do to change that unfortunately.

mark

 

[ukjesters]

The West Moor development is on a brownfield site - there used to be a school there - so at least that's a "recycling" of land which was already in use rather than the loss of more green space.

Correct, but unfortunately they are also looking to build on the field adjacent to the old school site. On here they want to build a low cost hotel, office buildings and a pub. All of which are in short supply in our area, what a load of TOSH!!!

As a resident of West Moor i can assure you that my letter of objection to these current plans has already been submitted.

Rick

 

[Keith Reeder]

Good man, Rick - hope the protest is successful.

A typical example of "give 'em an inch...", eh?