10m high fence and netting in Wray Crescent Park!

jward · March 2014

Despite the trail having gone cold for many months it transpires that Islington Council still have a plan to install 10m high ‘seasonal’ netting around the cricket pitch to catch stray balls.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> The netting is described as seasonal, so at great expense will be put up in the spring and apparently taken down for the winter! (from which public budget i wonder?) The supporting structure requires 24 vertical steel posts 10 metres high and 14 diagonals for bracing (steel cables?)There’s no information on any padding or safety measures for these. The locations of the posts are not clearly indicated and in one location seem to block the vehicle access to the park.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It doesn’t seem to have been thought through properly and will have a significant negative impact on the park. The safety of anyone playing in the park has not been addressed at all.<o:p></o:p> The Planning meeting when this will be voted through is next Tuesday, 7.30 at the Town Hall.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It’s not too late to object – please email or call Paul Conboy:T 020 7527 2260 F 020 7527 2731<o:p></o:p>E <a href="mailto:paul.conboy@islington.gov.uk">paul.conboy@islington.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p>, and our councillors<a href="mailto:Catherine.West@islington.gov.uk">Catherine.West@islington.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p> <a href="mailto:richard.watts@islington.gov.uk">richard.watts@islington.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p> <a href="mailto:jean.kaseki@islington.gov.uk">jean.kaseki@islington.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> the planning officers report recommending the installation can be found here:<o:p></o:p> <a href="http://democracy.islington.gov.uk/reports/738a34efda56492b8414617ffc465661/report.aspx">http://democracy.islington.gov.uk/reports/738a34efda56492b8414617ffc465661/report.aspx</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> search the council website (ref P2013/2600/FUL) to find the are the details of the Planning Submission<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>

ChangN4N6 · March 2014

Cath West likes cricket (good. ) is a kiwi (even better) but does not get that this expensive prison fencing is a bad idea. Basically Hassan says some cricket ball hit a geezers car and billed the council . So it goes on or the kids will be taking drugs and not doing cricket. Chang

yagamuffin · March 2014

Seems like an eminently sensible idea... So long as it doesn't interfere with the trees of course

jward · April 2014

<div>I can report that unfortunately the Planning Application for Wray Crescent park cricket netting was passed by the Planning Committee last night.</div><div>Conversations at the committee and email correspondence led to a number of last minute changes which have improved the safety and robustness of the installation. The post spacing was revised, the dangerous low level diagonal bracing relocated and the height of the bottom of the netting revised to 3m. (Without residents objections I doubt that these improvements would have been made, which is worrying).The councillors decision was made purely on the grounds of visual impact, based on some very poor ‘visualisations’, which of course were incorrect due to the above changes.So, as the scheme approved was not illustrated on the submitted drawings, it is likely that the decision is open to legal challenge. There is still however the question of the inadequate risk assessment that the Council has carried out. The present assessment does not account for the variation in protection around the perimeter of the pitch and does not distinguish between a range of hazards in the park. If there is an injury in an unprotected area to the west of the pitch, for example, the Council has not demonstrated the rationale for the lack of netting, and so would be liable? If the netting is required then why doesn't it protect the full boundary?It is not clear why the Council is not relying on the 2 insurance policies held by the cricket clubs and the council, as has been done for the past twenty years, but this is another conversation. Throughout this episode Islington Council has shown poor communication, lack of attention to detail, and ignored local opinion. At the last public meeting that was called approximately 2 years ago approximately 40 people turned out and there was near unanimous opposition to the netting. This Application is very similar to the previous proposal and has been pushed through with 1 weeks’ notice after months of silence on the subject. The Friends of Wray Crescent have been engaged with Greenspace and Tree Officers in the last 2-3 weeks at a community orchard planting day, but no mention was made of the netting plans, which include the removal of a tree. Tollington Ward Partnership spent £2000 on a Community Day two weeks ago at IAMS but no attempt was made to communicate to the local community that £60,000 plus was going to be spent on this intrusive fencing. The netting has Planning consent, but that doesn’t mean it has to be installed....</div>

ChangN4N6 · April 2014

Thanks. This is depressing, but for what it's worth Harringey are worse. Hope Cath West (I think the local Cllr ) will meet the resis . Chang

jward · April 2014

An update on the proposed Cricket netting in the park: The council recently gave planning permission for a seasonal installation of 10m high posts and netting around approximately 2/3 of the park as protection from cricket balls. The fence is going to cost approximately £60k, with an annual cost of approximately £2.5k to put it up and take it down There have been a number of concerns raised by residents, including: - Lack of consultation. Having heard nothing since December, only one week’s notice was given of the Planning meeting. When a similar plan was proposed about 2 years ago about 40 local residents attended a public meeting, and the consensus was that the fencing was not wanted. - No clarity on exactly on what is proposed. At the Planning meeting a number of changes were proposed verbally and accepted, but there are no drawings that clarify the number and location of posts, particularly in the open part of the park. - Impact. The 10m high fence posts, concrete bases and netting will spoil the appearance of the park and obstruct park users, and cricketers. Approximately 23 posts will surround 2/3 of the park, and a tree in the park will be cut down. - Risks and reasons for location of the netting. The council consider that there are specific risks associated with cricket which mean the netting must be installed, but there are no specific risk assessments or documents that explain this clearly. We met Richard Watts our local councillor and leader of the council at his surgery on Saturday to discuss the above. We can report that he suggested the fencing will not be installed in the next few weeks and that a public drop-in/briefing will be held by the council in the next few weeks, to explain the revised proposals and reasons for installing the netting. If you feel strongly about this please contact our councillors as follows: jean.kaseki@islington.gov.uk Catherine.West@islington.gov.uk‎ Richard.Watts@islington.gov.uk‎ We will circulate the date of the meeting once confirmed.

kreuzkav · April 2014

<div>Call in Alan Partridge</div><div> </div>

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Detritus · April 2014

We had a family move into a farming village from the city and constantly complained about the smell from the farm. You move to the country you put up with the smell, if you move next to a cricket pitch then put up with it. Nobody made you move there. Bloody idiots. A ppointless waist of time and money. I would love to live next to a cricket pitch preferably Lord's but beggers...

ChangN4N6 · April 2014

Go @jward u r awesome. I will certainly poke the Cllrs and go to the consultation Chang

jward · September 2014

A quick update re the proposed netting in Wray Crescent Park.<div>The council are holding a 'drop-in session' this Wednesday in the park from 2.00 until 8.00.</div><div> </div><div>Apparently its not a consultation, just to inform us of what the council plan to do!</div><div> </div><div>Please come along to see what an ugly idea it is - and how Islington Council are going to waste over £60k on a needless project...</div><div> </div><div> <div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%)"> <div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> IN DEFENCE OF WRAY CRESCENT PARK After many years of cricket in our park Islington Council plan to put up 10 metre high fencing around Wray Crescent, to catch cricket balls. This will have a big impact on the way the park looks and feels. The fencing will be put up for the Summer and taken down for the Winter. It doesn’t enclose the park because the council think there is only a risk in certain areas. The ‘dog-walking area’ will not be protected from flying balls. The biggest impact would be a row of steel posts that would run across the grass near the trees and would require a tree to be cut down. The cost of the fence is at least £60,000. The council are holding a drop-in session in the park to explain the proposal on Wednesday 24th Sept between 2.00 and 8.00 – please drop in and comment if you don't want this to happen. If you object (or support) please write to your councillors: flora.williamson@islington.gov.uk jean.kaseki@islington.gov.uk richard.watts@islington.gov.uk For more information call: 07961 550514 <div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section"> <img src="file:///page1image10856" alt="page1image10856" width="507.633000" height="309.815000"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div>

jward · October 2014

An article in the Gazette about the fencing in the park. http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/stumped_and_angry_finsbury_park_residents_want_cricket_fence_hit_for_six_1_3804436 The council are keeping this all very quiet, no public meeting this time around. Apparently it's all about the risk, but only about the risk of getting sued not the risk of anyone getting hurt that is. If there was any concern of that then of course cricket would have been stopped for the last 2 years. Write to your councillors. It might make a difference! This s the problem with first past the post.... The 10m high post that is. All 30 of them spoiling the park

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10m high fence and netting in Wray Crescent Park!

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