Seven Kings & Newbury Park Residents Association (SKNPRA) are requesting that Redbridge Council reconsider their plans to close under reference: CDS309 the toilets in Seven Kings Park, Aldborough Road South, Newbury Park.
Seven Kings Park is used not just by the residents in Seven Kings and Newbury Park, but also from visitors outside the community as well. Many sports are played in the park with Saturday and Sunday teams playing football and cricket during the summer months, not forgetting the playing of tennis on the courts and Bowls on the green as well. There are additional facilities with the large children’s play area at the far end of the park and the recent NEW Lottery funded Playscape area that is being built for completion early 2011 for children’s use, sited near to the toilets precisely to accommodate the needs of children and parents. Seven Kings Park is a very busy, well used community park.
SKNPRA was recently successful in obtaining funding from Area 5 and 7 Committees to refurbish the bandstand, so that bands can play in the park once more in the summer to attract, entertain residents and their families. The park is greatly used by many of the residents on a daily basis, with dogs being walked by their owners, people playing sport, keep fit walkers and runners alike.
The park is also used by the local schools. Downshall Primary School, in particular, we understand have stated that if the toilets close, then the school children will no longer be able to visit the park to play, learn and explore as the risk is too great that a child may want to go toilet at any time. It seems a great shame that this basic, but necessary facility is proposed to be closed to save money, when its use is a much needed public convenience!
We urge the Leader of the Cabinet, Councillor Keith Prince and Cabinet Member for Highways, Councillor Mrs Michelle Dunn responsible for this budget cut to please think again and to consider how children, senior citizens, families, sports men and women can be deprived of the use of this much needed public convenience. With the Olympics not so far away and obesity levels rising in children and the population at large, it seems unthinkable that the Council are sending out the message that they are discouraging people from using the park and taking exercise by cutting the use of this public toilet facility.
SKNPRA will be staging a protest and collecting petition signatures at the entrance to the park next to the toilets in Seven Kings Park, Aldborough Road South on Saturday 26th February at 10.30am.
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King Crimson - Epitaph.
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