'˜Night fishing can help protect our Doncaster parks'

Those are among the issues to emerge at the latest Doncaster Free Round table, on parks and open spaces, held at Potteric Carr Nature Reserve. 

Today we publish part three of our report.

Chaired by the Fress Press' David Kessen, our panel was: Andy Dalton, Gateway manager; Potteric Carr, Andy Rutherford, Doncaster Council's head of street scene and highways operations; Tony Sockett, Bentley Area Community Partnership; Don Crabtree, Friends of Sandall Park; Francis Jackson, Friends of Askern Lake; Clarissa Jackson and Jeremy Turner, both Warmsworth Environmental Group.

Are there enough activities for children in Doncaster's parks and open spaces?

Francis Jackson: 'The simple answer is no. The difficulty is who organises it. You need someone to control it otherwise the kids just run riot. A lot of towns have amateur footballs teams. It is dedicated volunteers again. There are lots of things that can be done, but it comes back to the youth service again, that it doesn't exist any more.'

Clarissa Jackson: 'When it gets to, say, 10-plus there is a shortage of activities.' 

FJ: 'In Askern we have swings and an activity area and that's it . But because of health and safety, it's got to be controlled.'

CJ: 'As a parent, you should be taking your child to the swings.' 

FJ:  'But there are other parents who couldn't care less as long as the kids are out. That's the problem we have with this group of kids.'

Don Crabtree: 'My concern when we see kids in Sandall Park, is that they seem to behave better with their grandparents.'

FJ: 'We've applied for funding to put some fishing pegs in at Askern Lake. It doesn't belong to us sowe  had to make sure we have long term use.

'I have to ask Doncaster Council to do anything. We have to produce a risk assessment.

'We've got some trees which have boughs laying in the lake that have been like this for nearly seven years.

'My main concern is that kids will climb up the boughs, directly over the lake, and one of these days if someone falls in that will be it. They could drown, We've reported it time and time again. We could do it but have to get permission.'

DC: 'I set an angling club up at Sandall Park to police the park. I've got no interest in fishing at all, but the rules of the council were there was no night fishing at any council-owned lake. There is now. That will cut down crime there, if you put night fishing in like we have.

'Our anglers are briefed, and we've given them big torches and radios.

'People who hear radios and see torches don't know if it's anglers or the police force. It's stopped people breaking into the cafe and poaching and off-road motorbikes. They are our eyes in eyes in the park at night, and it works.' 

Andy Rutherford: 'Going back to the boughs in the lake, I can only apologise if its not been resolved, however we will instruct our tree team. I will make sure you get some contact and we action some works.

'In terms of the current facilities that are in the park, we're committed to sustaining those facilities and to make sure they're a good standard so kids can enjoy themselves.

'In terms of use of green space and fields outside the parks we're more than happy to work with anyone who wants to have any event and make use of those areas. Come to our team who can facilitate that.

'We've heard this morning about various events that have happened music related, fireworks, lights galas. These are valuable resources and we're open to facilitate what we can.

'I think it's a real shame that there are some excellent facilities out there and in some areas of the borough there isn't a lot that happens there we've got to try to get that changed around so that there are things that local people can enjoy.

'Interestingly enough, in terms of users, we put new counters in Elmfield Park so that it counts people in and out, and over 2,000 people used that park over Saturday and Sunday in one weekend.

'There isn't a huge amount other than sport, the bowling greens and the football, that goes on, but there a lot of people who use these sites.

'It's heartening and it's something that we want to do at more parks, work with friends of groups who support each other and get that intelligence about what the current levels are and then look at ways where there are gaps and low usage and what we can do to get more.

'Parks are not just for kids, they are for people of all ages. We want to get elderly people out of their homes, people who are lonely for instance, helping them to make friends  and get involved and hopefully make them feel happier with their lives .

'These areas have a big role to play and that can only happen by us having the desire and willingness  to sustain these valuable resources and a strategy and clear plan to work towards that goal. We all have a big part to play in that.'