Chairmans's January 2011 Report

The start of the year has not been a good one from the point of view of our ambitions to promote the heritage of the park and to secure its long term preservation.

Unfortunately the Heritage Lottery Fund decided not to sponsor our application for funding for the provision of 2 – 3 information boards and the committee is now reviewing the options available; we plan to take up the challenge ourselves and produce at least one or two boards and install them in strategic place later this year.

Merton Council recently informed us of is its very grave financial position and, as yet, they have not agreed (as we had hoped they would) to enter into a deal with the Friends and the Hotel to secure a three year commitment of provision and planting of annual bedding in the Sunken Garden.

The Council has also advised us that, as part of the package of savings needed to meet the central Government requirements, as from April 1st none of the parks within the Borough will be locked at night. This is most disturbing and potentially damaging for all of the community’s parks. We have seen Cannizaro slowly decline over the past 20 years and, in the light of the Council’s need to make savings, the Friends have invested more money in various projects and looked at ways of preserving and enhancing aspects of the Park, such as the main drive, the new herb garden, the signposts, the water garden, the fountain and the pond aerator. To leave the Park open at all hours will lead to the inevitable damage and deterioration of these projects, some of which are very susceptible and could be easily damaged.

The Council has suggested that volunteers would be responsible for locking the gates, but this leads us into the areas of liability, insurance and personal safety. We, along with Parks groups such as Cottenham Park, Holland Garden, John Innes, South Park Garden and others, have now arranged to meet to investigate better ways of dealing with these matters.

Please keep an eye on our website for more information as it comes to hand.

 

Chris Mountford



cannizaro park planting maples