Mini Golf in Peckham Rye Park ... are they kidding?

[Lee Scoresby]

Latest news that the faceless-nameless ones at Southwark Parks Management would really rather you didn't know about:

Having utterly failed to reinstate what was once a lively community of older local bowlers at the green in the park, 'senior managers' now intend to privatise that entire section, handing it over to some chancer to knock up a mini-golf course. Price for a round? Somewhere round eight to 12 pounds.

No-one is asking us, the local people and park users, what we think, of course not. Many will see hiving off to private interests as a betrayal in principle, and this particular money-spinning lark as crass and inappropriate. If Southwark really cannot get their act together to re-establish bowling the green should be returned to parkland. Southwark's secret intentions, of course, are exactly the opposite: they have the established goal of handing over major chunks of our park to the Harris Academy corporation. The bowling green is the thin end of a very wide wedge.

Overall, I suggest, Southwark's stewardshp of the Park and Rye remains as dismal as ever. Items: They continue to allow football teams to trash the fields. They refuse to end their ludicrous 'jihad on dogs' and take even modest steps to make these core park-users welcome: why, for example, is there no drinking trough for dogs at the new building at Homestall Rd? Completely outrageous. The chainsaws have been out, day after day; while some tree removals were clearly necessary, it seems that when they want a tree gone - to facility music events for example, or the parking of contractor vehicles - there is no tree in the park so healthy that 'dieback' could not be discovered in it, hohoho-hollow-ho. And without a huge bung from the National Lottery these bozos have not the slightest interest in, you know, actually PLANTING new trees. Rather, careful observers may have detected that a concerted, undeclared effort is underway to attenuate all areas of tree and other vegetation, evidently to allow continuous sightlines through the park from all angles, so as to faciliate policing (in the general sense). This vandalism completely undoes the thought and effort of many past generations to carefully enfold so very many private, beautiful spaces like an intricate puzzle within what is really not a large area. Again, did anyone ask us about this?

And here's the doozy for locals and park lovers ... having concealed with grass-seeding their failure to repair the considerable, serious ground damage caused by last May's appalling (and 'commercially confidential' hoho) 'music event', Southwark is going to do it all over again at the end of this month. Watch and see the mayhem and squalor, the strutting security thugs, the noise-assault, the vegetated areas thick with fecal matter, the damage to the natural fabric of the park ...

Lovely Park and Rye, brilliant space, DESPITE Southwark.

Needs protection from its supposed municipal 'stewards'.

Could be so so so much better ---

Lee Scoresby.

[betternowthanthen]

I totally agree, Southwark are cashing out, not sure what we get back though, also i think for gigs/festivals on the park and evens such as theses which charge huge amounts to attend, and they're exactly Glastonbury Festival. I think Local residents should get free access to these events, they will make money from us still, buying the overpriced drinks and food, since it's our park, our tax keeps these parks in our borough maintained (and to repair the damage, after) ect. It's only fair, we keep it up, they use it for a fun events, they make their ?, we get a 'performance not to forget forever' couldn't do it without a well maintained park! Southwark are a disaster for us, secret like the communists, they need all kicking out, and run by locals who actually care, not pocketing ?packets? under the table, they never share never tell, use all the tricks the lawyers tell them, do their thing and bypass us and keep us out, at all costs!!!! and at our costs SHAME ON YOU, OUR SO CALLED BOROUGH, OF SHAME! Thanks for informing us, it's good to share and good to know, then we can make them think again!

[Penguin68]

But we are in the south of the borough and Tooley St only cares about the North, where the bulk of their support lies. Those in the old Borough of Camberwell can go hang, jointly or severally. They will use (i.e. sell off, alienate) 'our' land to line their coffers in support of the bits of their borough they prefer - we are a cash cow to be raided. It's about time (don't hold your breathes) that the councilors we voted for did something to protect their electorate/ those they represent. But they're part of the same aparat, so I wouldn't expect to hear much from them. No chance of cabinet preferment if they rock the boat.

[redjam]

Blimey. Is it just me or is the tone of all these posts slightly ... hysterical?

[tortor]

Of course the other way of looking at it is that Southwark are trying to hard to raise revenue to reinvest in parks, despite massive budget cuts from central government.

If an area of park isn't being used for bowling, why not use it for something else that is likely to be popular, and help them restock the coffers. If there is genuine demand for bowling, fair enough... but that seems not to be the case.

I think we are extremely lucky in Southwark, with some of the best (and well maintained) parks in London.

[womanofdulwich]

I like mini golf. Closer than Hastings!

[MattGale]

Great Park Peckham Rye, if it was a 9 hole crazy Golf Course Southwark could ask the local schools each to design and construct s bit of the course as a school project, would be a great way to get local kids involved. Golf is a good game to get all ages/families/friends together, don't think they should be charging too much eg adults ?3 kids go free. Mine would prefer golf to bowling I am sure.

[MarkT]

They had to stop the bowling. There's no sport with a higher fatality rate.

[kiera]

tortor Wrote:

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> Of course the other way of looking at it is that Southwark are trying to hard to raise revenue to reinvest in parks, despite massive budget cuts from central government.

That's incorrect - the money raised is not for the parks or even for essential services - it's to put on more events and build up the events team & pay their salaries, with the aim of making events self financing. In other words, empire building.

[MrDude21]

Can?t wait for the mini golf!

[LurkyMcLurker]

Lee Scoresby Wrote:

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> They refuse to end their ludicrous 'jihad

> on dogs' and take even modest steps to make these

> core park-users welcome

You've got a real flair for the dramatic.

The mini golf may be a bit too expensive for my liking, but I'll probably wander by and see how it looks.

[dresswaves]

There used to be a small putting green to the right of the path that leads to the main park entrance from Barry Road .

[Sephiroth]

They don?t want us to know about it?

So when it opens and actual people can see it, there will be outrage?

Or will it be lots of people going ?cool, mini golf?

[tomskip]

Ah, sad to see there hasn't been much demand for the bowling.

[macutd]

mini golf or a putting green would be great

[CharlotteEmily88]

I think this is a great idea.

Funnily enough, my partner was thinking of setting up a crazy/mini golf course in the area - he was thinking of the location of the old lido, but he's now thinking of the bowling green space (nothing has been done about it - it's just blue sky thinking from his perspective).

It would be ideal for families, and could bring a lot of business to the area.

As said above, there would be ways of getting local community involved i.e. kids designing parts of it.

CE

[Bic Basher]

Clearly Southwark are having to monitise from their parks as well. If it's not bike rental in Dulwich Park and the festivals in Peckham Rye Park.

[5imon]

On the subject of monetising parks, i'll briefly hijack this thread to point out that the consultation period for charging for the use of Southwark park carparks ends today, 13th May.

Please add your comments in support, or reject the proposal as you see fit.

Relevant links included in the following thread: https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2011302,page=4

Thanks all

[peckman]

I love this park with all my heart .if you want to go bowling go bowling . Its there fir you . Although the fact that no one uses it means not many people give a shit about biwling -..turn it into a crazy golf course with a nice cafe . Lee s .. you dont half ham it up sometimes with your language

[peckman]

And ive got no problem with the festival .. it was brilliant last year .as long as tgey reibstate it to what it was . The park is a resource fir everyone

[Angelina]

If it gets people out and about and active, brilliant

Far too expensive though - there's a difference between raising funds and making money

It should be community driven, not profit driven (ie priority being a resource the community can afford to use and not designed to be expensive to increase profit of the organisers)

I would want to know how much the organisers make and how much goes to Southwark....and of the money that goes to Southwark, how much gets re-invested in the parks?

[El Presidente]

Love mini-golf.

[DuncanW]

This sounds great Lee, where can we find more info about this?

I tried Googling it but couldn?t find anything.

[carlafindle]

El Presidente Wrote:

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> Love mini-golf.

Tiny Woods.

[malumbu]

Depends on the quality of the course so I will reserve judgement. And I assume that this is mini golf not crazy golf. Even though this thread has driven some people crazy.