Central Park – Walled Garden restored to the public.

Central Park, standing at the edge of Seacombe and Egremont on the one side, with Liscard on the other, is a key public asset.

When the Tory/LibDem collaboration, in control of Wirral until last May, sought the reduction of some 1100+ council jobs our Central Park Ranger, who left early under one of the schemes of ‘encouragement’ to go, was among them.  He was popular and dedicated, well known for working far beyond the call of ordinary duty; we all wished him well for his early retirement, but we certainly miss him.

The public were left with the impression that the deletion of such posts would occur only if they did not adversely affect front line services.  But were people under the care of  Social Services  in Central Park not ’front line’?  Following the deletion of our Ranger’s post they found themselves without organised means to open the buildings they were using, in the morning, or to secure them afterwards, or even to have the lavatories cleaned.

The attractive Walled Garden was no longer open to the public unless the volunteers, or their carers, or Social Services staff, found ways to get it done.  And with the retirement of our Ranger it was also closed to the public and to visitors on weekends.  Not exactly good news for the ‘Leisure Peninsula’?

With no Council arrangements put in place  for the lavatories to be cleaned that, too, fell by default to Social Services Staff and volunteers.  Whoever else felt it was acceptable, it was not acceptable to your Seacombe Labour Councillors.

“What”, readers might ask,  “was the rationale for not making arrangements for the buildings and the Walled Garden to be unlocked and secured, and for the lavatories to be cleaned?”     That would be for the previous administration to explain.  Your Labour Councillors are just getting on with the business of having it put right.

Happier times are back again

 Meanwhile, the privatisation shadow has been lifted and our Parks have returned happily to public maintenance, with our professional officers able once more to arrange for the buildings to be opened for the volunteers and Social Services Staff to work unhindered; for the lavatories to be cleaned, and for our Walled Garden  to be re-opened to the residents of Wirral who, by the way, own it.