In response to residents calls for a better environment New Deal is funding a Green Environment Programme. Last year they also signed a £2 million 3-year deal with the Council called ‘Advancing Together’, providing extra money to maintain the visible appearance of Burngreave, additional to existing provision.
Despite all this, in the last year Burngreave’s older generation have lost a valued amenity – Abbeyfield Bowling Green. Rob Smith went out to see to how our green spaces compared to others across the city…
Story by Rob Smith
The search for decent park spaces led photographer Carl and myself on a mission across the city. Beginning at Burngreave’s Nottingham Cliff recreation ground we made our way towards hilly Osgathorpe Park before entering the gradually deteriorating surroundings of Abbeyfield.
Our entrance into Longley Park was in stark contrast as the bowling green greeted us. (This is where this story begins to unfold.) Longley Park Bowling Green has a full membership and a pavilion building. A big game was in full swing as I entered, and I noticed a six-foot fence protected the green. Mrs Pam Hunter told me she knew what had happened at Abbeyfield as some of their members has joined Longley Park.
Why are young people destroying the bowling greens? It gives pleasure and exercise to so many elder people. Don’t they know yet, that one day I will be old and so will they. The same day, another game of bowls was taking place in Firth Park. Here I met an ex-member of Abbeyfield Park bowling group. What the wife of the Presiding Chair of Abbeyfield Bowlers Club, Mrs Maureen Tew, told me gave me cause for concern.
“My husband is 70 and he and others were asked to help by watering the seeds. But they couldn’t do it anymore, it took it out of them. Do you know what it takes to water turf regularly enough for bowls Rob?
“Do you know last week a family were having a picnic here on Firth Park bowling green? The week before a football trainer held a full squad training session on it.”
Later, discussion on this revealed Burngreave Green Environment Programme had laid plans to erect fencing around Abbeyfield bowling green using BNDfC funding. But what happened to the service paid for by taxpayers that supposedly maintains bowling greens?
In 2003 the Council attempted to reseed Abbeyfield’s pitch, but a hot summer meant watering was needed and the attempt failed. A further attempt also failed. Misuse of the pitch was blamed, but no signs were put up to explain what was being attempted. Since then the pitch has been left to over grow.
I spoke to Park and Woodlands’ Council Officer, Paul Tankard, whose department is responsible for maintaining bowling greens across Sheffield. He said:
“After we seeded Abbeyfield’s green Rob, we were short of staff and couldn’t find anyone to water the seeds. So Parks and Woodlands asked the members to water it. I’m aware this became too much for them, so I put workers on overtime to do it.”
Paul was quick to mention Burngreave Green Environment Programme funding being in place for fencing around Abbeyfield Bowling Green and added that some bowling clubs across the city are self-managed and maintained.
“Like other clubs, Longley Park and Firth Park financed their own fencing having sought funding.Vandalism and misuse of our greens is a big problem Rob, for which I could put up advisory signs. But without co-operation from the police and environmental services, we’d have a problem enforcing them.”
John Clark, New Deal Chief Exec, told the Messenger:
“Abbeyfield bowling green should get re seeded by the end of March 2005 as part of the Green Environment Programme. The plans also include a multi-purpose sports facility where the tennis courts used to be and fencing round the green. I do think the maintenance of the green spaces is awful. Advancing Together doesn’t cover parks at the moment, but we are discussing this and the possibility of transferring the budget to maintain the park to Green City Action.”
Members of Abbeyfield Bowling Group have shown they are willing to contribute their time and effort to maintaining their green. With all the New Deal funding in place, promising the environment will not only be maintained but improved, how come this well-established and popular amenity has now become unusable?