Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Duke's Meadows petition | |
Posted by: | Kathleen Healy | |
Date/Time: | 04/09/15 15:21:00 |
This reply reinforces rather than allays our concerns; "We are firmly committed to developing the masterplan with the local community – including local councillors and the Dukes Meadow Trust. This is the start of the discussion not the end and we intend to engage the Trust in this process, including the selection and brief for the masterplanners." The trust will be consulted along with everyone else. So a limited role with the council leading. There is no recognition that there was a master plan for Dukes Meadows which we created, after extensive consultation and raised over £1 million to implement. The plan was to improve the amenity value and bio diversity of the area and to make improvements sustainable by developing revenue streams and supporting regular volunteering. It was a very ambitious plan, but I am pleased to say that, with the support of many volunteers, we have achieved about 80% of it, with modest funding from the council, about £60,000 to date. The two playgrounds, orchard, meadows, hedgerows, improved entrance at Corney Reach, market, studios and the bi weekly volunteering we do are the achievement of the plan It would seem strategic to work with a group that has proved itself able, in order to extend and build on that original plan. It included improving the entrances to the meadows. This idea along with many others was not ours, but came from the consultation we did. people said that the park had blurred boundaries, they weren't sure where it started, it had no sense of arrival. In response to this we improved the entrance from Corney Reach with sculptures made in Chiswick School and new trees and chicane. The chicane was from feedback about conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians at that point. We weren't able to improve the entrance from Riverside Drive as it includes a road and was a project we would need council support with. So that hasn't happened. That is a pity, as it would help in reducing the recent problems with fly tipping. It seems the council is determined that they will lead on what happens at Dukes Meadows and we will be kept in a "consultee" role. This seems odd and does give concern about whether there is an existing agenda that we might get in the way of. Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition and for all the supportive comments. I hope that people will be abl to attend on Tuesday, I think this may be a bit of a fight. |