Concerts (Not Pop), Using the Bandstand” General Comments
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“Concerts (not pop), using the bandstand” General comments: “Theatrical productions” “No commercial developments in the park” “Bands playing pop concerts” “Keep green spaces” “School performances” “No noise! Please do not remove natural turf and replace with plastic” “Keep fit events” “How about a bowling green” “Nature walks” “No floodlights” “Treasure hunts for kids” “More dog mess bins” “Sports other than football” “Where are the green issues?” “Music and theatre, sports, youth events” “Management and leadership of the park is key, “All that’s noted above” needs vision and creativity” Any concerns? “Create many activities for the young people of the area. Get them engaged!” “No” Location based comments: “No, but clear up after event” Lower Morden Lane end: “Frequency board for “Increased traffic, encourage green modes of mobile flying area” transport, please also recycle waste created” “No” Registry office: “Formal gardens with walk through the house” “Move tennis parking from main park to other less used field?” Bandstand and Morden Park area (middle): “Make more use of the bandstand (less bureaucratic)” “Not if properly organised and have proper closure times that are adhered to” “If they are too big the grass gets ruined. Also need to be policed so that cars don’t race around and bbqs don’t burn the grass and cooking oil dumped on grass” “Noise late at night” “No, but tidy up afterwards” Alternative Activities 4. This task was aimed at finding out what alternative activities people would like to see in the park and where. Using visual prompts, attendees’ were asked to suggest alternative activities and where they might go. 51 Field B: “Tea Room – all the other popular parks attract users because they have tea rooms (Richmond, “Archery, volleyball, badminton, softball” Oaks Park, Windmill Wimbledon Common, Bushy, Nonsuch etc)” “This implies buildings!!! (on comment above)” “Adventure playground, using wood as in the “Designated BBQ area / picnic area, as in New Forest. They are in the shape of giant Australia” animals. Kids love it.” “Please see the location for changing rooms and “Tea rooms / Café” indoor training facility for outdoor sport on the Association AGM notice. This was chosen after “GO FOR IT! Provide many varied activities, the years of consultation, meetings etc. We need one more the merrier” building to serve all the playing fields” “This beautiful park belongs to the wildlife who Field A: live there. Whatever we do, we must not encroach on their special place.” “More dog poo bins” “Any sport not requiring destroying the grass “Why don’t they bring back the tennis courts areas, except for high/long jump etc, or the here? I do see people using the old courts but if addition of floodlighting” these were up-graded and maintained a lot more people would use them” “Cricket practice is the most popular use at the moment. Practice nets / areas that are vandal “And cricket nets” proof” Ideas for alternative activities: “No more football pitches!” “Athletics and archery (all used to be in the “Toilet facilities for sports” playing fields)” “Outdoor swimming pool” “Toilet facilities for park users” “Roller skating rink” “Ensure the area is available for a multitude of activities / pursuits and not dedicated to a few” “Ice skating rink” “Tea Room / Café and toilet” “No floodlights” “I would like to see the green, open spaces preserved as much as possible therefore it would be great to have a wildlife area and this could be used for schools and the public” “Kite flying” “Natural play areas for little children and one for older children” “Jogging over the park and middle field” “Natural play areas” 52 “Model aeroplane rallies” That’s a great activity – getting out (for some)” “Kite buggying” “No floodlighting! No floodlighting!” “Outdoor chess tournaments” “No GOALS, no floodlighting” “Country show” “No to building, they will destroy the park as they did with Sutton Arena” “Local farm show / sale” “Football, netball, tennis, rugby – needs to be “Re-site pool, have water slide sometimes” marked out to get lots of people using the park. People will feel safer if more people are around” “Fitness trails! Expand!” “Encourage young and old (and middle)” “Encourage all people young and old with activities” “Morden Park is a finite resource that needs to be used / managed responsibly for residents nearby” “For disabled people allow access by extending compacted gravel path around whole of park! 4.6 WORKSHOP 4 elements that might make up their perfect park. These included: a leisure centre, football pitches, The format of the 4th workshop differed from the tennis courts, the bandstand, trees, ponds, car previous 3, providing a more structured framework parks, cricket pitch, and cricket nets. for discussion. Attendees were asked to take a Attendees were asked to stick the various items on seat in groups of six after signing in. 51 people to the map in the most appropriate location. Each signed in to the workshop, with only 1 or 2 group’s map was displayed at the back of (young children) who attended but chose not to the room for the rest of the session to allow sign in. everyone attending to view the work of all those taking part. Planning for real – build your own perfect park Attendees were asked to work in their groups to 1. After attendees had split into to groups of 5-6 ‘build their perfect park’, through discussion and people, they were provided with a large map of debate, with the aim at arriving at a consensus of the park and various representations of different any competing views from fellow group members. 53 Leisure centre (blue dots) and sports facilities (yellow dots) The map shows that the majority of residents would like to see the leisure centre remain where it is currently located, and have the sports facilities situated on the playing fields. Parking (red dots) and access (orange dots) The map demonstrates that residents would like to see access at certain points along the park boundary; in the north east corner, adjacent to Morden South Rail and at the Lower Morden Lane/ Epson Road corner. The majority of residents would like to see parking at the college site and along Lower Morden Lane. Nature Improvements (purple dots) Nature Improvements such as a hay meadow, pond, nature play facilities and new trees would be welcomed across the whole park, especially in the southern parts. 54 Car park (orange dots) and leisure centre (red dots) Broadly speaking, residents would like the leisure centre and car park to remain where they are, with additional car parking at Lower Morden Lane. Sports Facilities (Tennis Courts: black dots, Football Pitches: dark blue dots, Cricket Nets: burgundy dots, Cricket Pitches green dots) The consensus is for improved sports facilities to be placed where the existing ones are on the playing fields and at the Lower Morden Lane/Epsom Road corner. Play Facilities (yellow dots) and Bandstand (purple dots) Residents would like to see playing facilities in a variety of locations: on the South West fields, near the existing leisure centre and on the playing fields. As for the bandstand, its current location is well-loved by residents. 55 “Lack of respect for saving and nurturing our green spaces” “The challenge of maintaining to a high standard the upkeep on non-commercial sports facilities” • The Community Trust has ideas for meeting part of this challenge • Another way is to charge fees on a not- for- profit basis (i.e. to lower costs only). “Tackling / avoiding vandalism and litter in the park” “It is important to take into account the larger communities views. However the impact of decisions falls on those who live nearby. These Constraints – how do we deliver the vision? people’s views need to have higher weighting.” 2.a For the second part of the workshop, “The Council!” attendees were asked to discuss and record the constraints to achieving the vision for Morden “No extreme environmental changes” Park. Attendees were also asked to then consider how the constraints might be overcome and how “Tennis courts: not too many, because of noise the vision could be delivered. The constraints (minority view), maintenance needed” identified by attendees are outlined below: “Pond dangerous for children – would “Geography – flooding / marshy land in place” need enclosure” “Any new building should not be built over Stone Street” “Football pitches - changing facilities needed, maintenance” “Some form of park ranger to make sure that any new buildings do not get damaged by youths – “Putting green – maintenance needed, kiosk to be which will happen!!! And generally to keep the staffed regularly” park clean” “Leisure centre – rebuild where at present? “Lack of manpower e.g. to have and empty more (include swimming pool), staffing levels” bins, clean up litter, police for litter etc.” “All proposals involve cost – initial and/or ongoing (for maintenance and staffing)” “Politics of the Council and politics between the various political parties” “Finance – payments for sports facilities” “Lack of empathy for needs of young people and 2.b Some of the ideas for helping to achieve the children and the disabled” vision are outlined below: “Priority in these economic times?” “Grants from sports bodies” “Safety issues” “Community Trust to leverage in grant funding” “Lack of coordination, cooperation, and “Additional parking on grasscrete for events communication between departments and lack of such as Wimbledon, concerts – infrequent but clear vision and leadership in the Council” heavy demand” 56 “Information boards in the park should “Not-for-profit fees for use of sporting facilities include maps – no information from (i.e. cover costs of maintenance, as you have with London Road entrance.” pitch and putt)” “Information centre to sell leaflets etc.