ANGRY Coventry residents have grilled the council’s deputy leader over plans to hold a ‘damaging’ funfair on a park near their homes.
Councillor Abdul Khan, who will make the final decision on the funfair, met 30-plus people who live near Stoke Green Park, off Binley Road, on Thursday (May 23).
Coun Khan heard the residents plead for a re-think.
They said they understood the council needed to generate revenue, but a funfair in a small park in a conservation area, and close to homes, was not appropriate.
They said their opposition – which we have previoulsy reported – was further emphasised by the council’s admission that it would raise only about £500.
The community has raised about £150,000 to improve local parks, and the residents told Coun Khan the funfair could bring litter, noise, parking, traffic congestion, and damage to the park and its newly-planted trees.
Chair of the Gosford Park Residents’ Association Corinne Spencer said: “It was very polite.
“John McNicholas (ward councillor) put our case forward, and then everyone chipped in. Councillor Khan listened. He seemed surprised that the council only stands to make about £500.”
Residents told Coun Khan, also the council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure, sport and libraries, that if the authority pushed ahead with the funfair, it risked losing the goodwill of people who had given time and skills over many years to improve the area.
But they stressed they were willing to work with officers on other ways of generating income from the local parks.
After the meeting, Coun McNicholas, who has led the residents’ campaign, said: “Coun Khan appreciated the issues, and he was surprised at the minimal benefit to the council.
“He liked what the local community had done to improve the park and he appreciated the passion that people have for their area. All that will be taken into account.”
The residents have organised a petition which will be heard at a council meeting on a date to be decided.
The funfair is planned for June 27-30, from 5-9pm on the Thursday and Friday; 1-9pm on the Saturday; and 1 to 7.30pm on the Sunday.
Council officers say they have to use the city’s parks to raise money to make up for government cutbacks.
But local people and their councillors complain that they were never consulted about the idea.
One of their fears is that access to the park might have to be widened to accommodate heavy vehicles, putting hedges at risk.
