Ideas to make better use of Ridgewood recreation ground

Ideas for the future use of the Ridgewood recreation ground are to be considered by town councillors at a meeting tonight.

A report from Cllr Bob Sweetland says there has been a steady decline in the hire of the ground’s facilities or use of the field over recent years.

He suggests the layout is changed and the field is used to create a green ‘buffer zone’.

He proposes enlarging the allotments at the eastern end of the field, removing the cricket strip, re-siting and enlarging the children’s play area and installing new equipment.

The remaining ground could then be laid out as a green, landscaped open area with seating and paths and incorporating an extensive tree planting programme.

Cllr Sweetland says in his report: ‘Remove the boundary fencing between our land and the Millennium Green so that the two open spaces become one large area of parkland for the public to freely range over.

‘This would then be in the centre of what will likely become, in the future, a large residential area with a school, health clinic, industrial parks and the entire infrastructure that is required for any major development outside of the town centre.’

Cllr Sweetland asks fellow members of the environment and leisure committee not to allow all the council’s resources on a ‘Vision for the Future’ to focus just on the town centre.

He asks that they plan ahead for other major changes that will occur over the next 20 to 25 years.

Other options would be to do nothing, carrying out minimal maintenance as at present, or to improve and utilise the field installing a proper land drainage network, levelling the ground, laying new turf, forming a new cricket square and football pitch and providing changing and toilet facilities unless a blanket permanent agreement is reached to allow access to the village hall when required for users of the field.

(Added to site Monday, March 15th, 2010)