A council van ripped up a cricket pitch last week when it drove across it after days of heavy rain.
The Cityparks vehicle drove across the grassed square in Wish Park last Tuesday, leaving deep tyre tracks.
It’s not known why it was in the park.
It comes after organised sport was banned on the park’s football pitch earlier this summer by Brighton and Hove City Council because of dangerously uneven ground.
Des O’Dell, from the Friends of Wish Park, said: “The cricket square hasn’t been protected since July. It hasn’t had a rope around it. Now it’s got to a state where it’s really badly damaged.
“Cityparks drove over it – I don’t know what they were doing down there.
“That could have been avoided by having a rope around it.”
Brighton and Hove News asked the council last Wednesday how the van came to drive over the pitch.
Today, we were sent a statement from lead councillor for the environment Tim Rowkins, who did not say why it was there.
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.”
This is just the most recent of many failures at Wish Park – Council are giving a very clear message about the park – they don’t care and sport is just an inconvenience despite having health /wellbeing and green spaces strategies that they ignore. Over 1650 members of the community have signed the petition to highlight the obvious neglect – more information is found at https://chng.it/ThQp9BvD6b.
We just want the council officers to deliver on their promises, have an enduring and transparent plan and return to an operating model that worked well for years.
Bowl a googly on a sticky wicket ect
Standards Jo… standards!
“It’s not know why was in the park”
Unless that’s a direct quote from the driver!
Standards Jo… standards!
“It’s not know why was in the park”
Unless that’s a direct quote from the driver!
I’ll never forget turning up there for a game of cricket and on inspecting the square, noticed that the wickets were totally out of alignment; something I’d never seen before in 45 years of playing. The ropes(?) are completely inadequate as kids, parents play football on it and cycle across the square too.
Kids playing in a park heaven forbid.
Not acceptable but proof of slovenly behaviour of too many public servants!
And yes! I mean dustmen too!
How is this a story!? It’s grass it’ll grow back! These people who moan about it need some real problems to gain a little perspective.
Hi john please read the full petition – this is not just a moan but the latest consequence of neglect at the park. For example At The moment 80 children boys and girls are missing out on football exercise with the consequence on mental health and social isolation. This is because the pitches haven’t been maintained There is a long list of these types of events at the park. 1700 of the community who has signed the competition just want to know what is going on and the councils intent.