Dear all, 

Apologises I didn't post an update last week - but to be honest there was no progress on previous council promises so nothing to update and the weather meant sports everywhere are being affected. You will have seen the response from the lead councillor for the environment Tim Rowkins in Brighton and Hove News he said:

“We’d like to apologise to users of Wish Park for the damage to some of the grass last week caused by a council vehicle being driven on it. “This is clearly not acceptable, particularly given recent disruption to the use of other sporting facilities at the park following the hosting of events.  “The damage appears to be relatively superficial, and we expect the grass to make a full recovery, but this is obviously a situation we want to ensure doesn’t happen again.”

The point Tim seems to have missed is the damage was to the cricket square not just a random piece of grass and therefore is not superficial. The square has not been scarified and dressed for winter and they have now put 'fencing' up around it, but having been exposed since June you can't tell how safe it will be next year and if cricket will be playable. 

The football pitch is still out of action and the top soil placed on the pitch is now just big muddy patches without any grass coming through - we asked for this to be turfed, watered and fenced off earlier in the year and it would have been playable by now. 

All of this should just be simple for a parks department, but every time I ask a question it is covered in uncertainty and promises that never materialise. We are being told meetings are being booked to organise meetings with people we have never heard of or met and that demonstrates progress. No one seems to understand sport and its benefits to health and wellbeing despite the various strategies and papers that are sent out. 

Never mind - the date is in the diary for the 14th December to take this to the full council meeting and try and get some answers and an enduring plan we can track progress against. 

Please keep sharing the petition - we are now getting close to the number of votes cast to elect our wish ward councillors, I am really hoping that will help bring these issues into focus and drive some tangible progress not promises.