The herons are busy nest building on the lake in Manor House Gardens. This fine specimen was snapped sizing up a small branch on the edge of the water.
Sadly, not all the visitors to the Gardens are so well behaved. A recent Police Panel heard a number of complaints from residents about troublemakers, especially in the afternoons.
Paul Lowndes, the Chair of the Friends of Manor House Gardens, told the recent Assembly meeting that the problems ranged from quite serious assaults to anti-social behaviour. He said the police had stepped up patrols, and had had some success in making arrests. The schools were also co-operating .
Carolyn Bosworth-Davies, a Taunton Road resident, said they were frequently disturbed by people playing loud music. Her husband, Rowan, added that Glendale’s enforcement officers seemed never to be in evidence in the afternoon period when the anti-social behavior tended to occur.
A representative from Glendale explained that although they could speak to troublemakers and try to educated them, they did not have any more powers at the moment to deal with the problem. However, the Glendale staff would be undertaking enforcement training in the future so they can do more to prevent trouble-making.
It is all too often that neglected places attract antisocial and criminal behaviour.
In the case of Manor House Gardens, its steady decline in many ways since it was granted a lottery fund with matching ratepayers contributions has been evident for several years.
Why have the self closing gates to the dog training and excercise area not been repaired properly. If this work requires specialist work why hasn’t a firm that can do this work be used? This leads to social tension especially when the dogs escape and are sometimes never seen again.
Similarly the large amount of steel or wrought iron railings including dog proof wire mesh requires remedial work.
Not only has the black topcoat started to fail exposing the galvanised primer, many of the intersections between the posts and rails have now rusted to the point of failure.
This is potentially dangerous to users of the Gardens.
The tennis courts when not used for tennis has doubled up for groups of mostly teenagers who meet up to chat, play music, ride bicycles and roller skate.
The similar sized playground opposite is often very crowded with again, mostly young people carrying out multiple activities.
As the digital lock is often not working it is little wonder that the often under utilised courts are made use of for other purposes .
If a competent locksmith was used to fit a stronger and more tamper proof lock then the antisocial behaviour in the form of loud music and physical assaults would be moved on elsewhere.