Further to the parking issues in Mary Stevens Park, the fact that 91 members of staff are to be moved from the building will not resolve the situation.
Three hundred staff from Children’s Services were moved into the building last year. There are 130 parking spaces, including those for the disabled, which will still be filled first thing in the morning by the remaining 200 staff before members of the public and user groups come to the park.
As stated by the Charity Commission it is totally unacceptable for staff to take up all of the spaces, so that later in the day the general public and park user groups, who are the beneficiaries, cannot use the car parks.
I stated at the last Ernest Stevens Trusts Management Committee, that unless the number of staff is reduced to 100 as in previous years, the situation will not work.
The park was left by Ernest Stevens to be a public park and recreation ground for ever, and the public were not considered at all when staff were moved in.
A new permanent café will open before the start of the school summer holidays and people will want access to use it. This issue should therefore be resolved as soon as possible.
Cllr Heather Rogers
Norton Ward
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