Goal posts

[susan]

I wentpast Diglis playing fields today and noticed that the grass has been cut AND the goal post's near the new childres playground had been put back in the same postion near the playground!

It was considered unsafe to have the pitch so near for fear a child could be be hit by a football from a game, also the foul language and urinating would not be something parents would like their children to experience once more.

It had been agreed that the residents of Diglis wanted only two pitches and that one would be closed. I'm aghast!

Also when are the results of the consultations going to be made available to the community and when will the schedule of works be published?

I fear that time and money has been spent trying to come to an agreement with Worcester City Council only to be ignored, not good at all. 

[Sam]

I'm disgusted. The Council ask the community what they would like on the fields and then completely ignore us.

I saw the concept plans on different occasions and that first football pitch was definitely not on them and was to be part of the imaginative  play area.

I fear that the 106 money will now be spent on the riverside leaving the fields as they are.

The friends of diglis fields are conspicuous by their absence, is it the case that they have been got at?  

[hazel]

I have to agree with the two posts before this. I also took part in the consultations and what a meal they made of it. There have been at least four consultations in various places and then the whole process was repeated and they had another three after that!!

What a waste of money on salaries for overtime but also ?20,000 on some abject drawings which as it happens seem to have been disregarded by the Worcester City Council Parks and Recreation Department.

It's maddening to see that we have all been duped and as for the friends of diglis fields group they seem to have had their heads turned and gone into hiding. I do wonder what has happened to all the money they collected over the period. 

Once they paint in the white lines then all is lost, perhaps some direct action is called for?

[Eco Warrior]

I can understand the frustration expressed.

I don't know what the timescale of implementing the pretty drawings we all saw was, I suspect years rather than months.

Friends of the Diglis fields does seem to have gone a bit quiet recently, coincidental with Francis Lancaster's failure to get re-elected?

I suggest that you get in touch with Cllr Lynn Denham to express your points. She has always replied with help and info when I've contacted her.

I've got her email address so PM me if you'd like it.

One point I'm interested in, Hazel mentions money collected. What money? How much? Collected under the auspices of who/what?

EW

[christopher]

I don't remember any money being collected? There was a car boot sale a couple of years ago, any money from that went to advertising, leaflet printing etc.

I'm pretty sure that the consultation views have been noted but as with most things concerning the council, don't hold your breath. I suppose the reduction in pitches will happen when the other work is undertaken?

I noticed today that parking is still an issue, surely this can be sorted out now though as relocation is all that is required.

[fred]

As far as I'm aware lankester was once a Cllr. for this ward and he knew that there was a stash of money from property developers when he was in office and didn't do a thing to use it, infact by the time Diglis.com dug out the facts regarding the money most of it was almost out of time and would have had to be paid back with interest to  certain developers.

I'd go as far as saying that the decline in the friends group started with his appointment as chairman. There is a rumour that the treasurer left the group so I can only guess where the funds they had collected may have gone, which obviously I'm not going to repeat on an open forum.

As far as I know a deal has been made by the friends group and the cleaner and greener department that would allow the department to spend a large amount of the money from the developers on the river side area and they in turn wouldn't question the inactivity of the plans we all saw; I'm assuming the department will divide and have there own way with out any questions being asked.

We need to see some movement on the pretty drawings we all saw and also a timescale of when and how the money from developers are / will be spent.

I'm fuming that the goal post's have been put back up and I very much doubt that we will see new railings, training equipment, and paths. I also fear that the model railway will not see a penny either.

 

[christopher]

Hello Fred,

I was the Treasurer and I left earlier this year because of time constraints and differing opinions within the group. I have worked in accounts for many years and all accounts and records were duly passed over to the Secretary.

I would ask you to be very careful making accusations which are untrue and unproven.
 

[fred]

christopher,

I have made not made any accusations.

[christopher]

"There is a rumour that the treasurer left the group so I can only guess where the funds they had collected may have gone, which obviously I'm not going to repeat on an open forum."

I did Law and English and that would be termed an accusation. It is also slanderous and libellous.

I don't quite know what you are trying to achieve but I can assure you that all 106 monies are currently safely in the possession of the council, benches installed were sponsored and paid for and apart from ?80 made at the local car boot no profits were made.

[fred]

You obviously didn't pay much attention to your subject at school christopher.

The tort of  slander and libel are entirely different, one relates to the spoken word and the other relates to the written word, the law of defamation encompass both.

I didn't know you were the  Treasurer  until you mentioned it on here. If you feel you have a case against me then do proceed to the next stage.

Back to the goal posts:  they are the thin edge of the wedge by the greener and cleaner department. The obvious step and the cheapest, would have been NOT to put them back in the same position thus starting the redevelopment. If it's delayed much more then some of the 106 money will have to be paid back to the developers with interest.

[mary]

I don't remember any money being collected?

and then you added in the next post that ?80 was collected!

It seems obvious that christopher protests too much! 

[Cllr Lynn Denham]

With regard to the S106 funding paid to the City Council for improvements to Diglis Fields, the oldest is due to expire on 25.2,2015.  This is ?67k related to the Albion Mill development.  The other funds have much longer time scales to be spent in.  See City Council Cabinet Papers Agenda Item 5 for 15th April 2014.

I have been pressing for the publication of the results of the latest consultations and will continue to do so.  As there has been a change in administration, back to Conservative leadership, the priorities may have changed.

[Claire E]

For any of you who do not know me, I am the secretary of Friends of Diglis Fields. I intend to be brief because I am disgusted at much of what has been said above, but the serious implications of these comments demands a response.

Firstly, Eco warrior you are absolutely right in what you say, the council have always made it clear that the timescale for these works is long term, hence the goal posts have gone back in the same place as before for now.

Secondly, there is no mystery over fundraising for the group. Everything we've done has been reported on this forum and in our newsletters. To begin with the group was funded by the committee members but obviously this was not tenable long term so we raised a little money to cover printing and postage costs etc, and also to provide the two lovely new benches on the field which many people seem to appreciate. We still have some money in the bank account, some of which will be used to produce another newsletter fairly shortly. I can assure you that all funds have been properly accounted for.

Thirdly, I do not think we have gone quiet at all. We have been present at all the consultation events and also held a litterpick in the summer. We have been in contact with the council throughout, specifically trying to work together to find a solution to the parking problem that does not involve sacrificing the grass verge.

I have edited out the last part of your post, there is no call to take the attitude you have taken and infere that the members of Diglsi.com are all against you. If you post anything derogatory like you have about this site in future, you will be banned.
 jerry

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[Eco Warrior]

Claire E,
Please don't take your bat home.
Keep posting and keep us all informed. I'm sure a lot of good work goes on behind the scenes. Sticks and stones etc.
Useful and interesting info does come up on this forum. Everything from herons to footballers urinary habits (allegedly, to avoid accusations of slander, libel etc).
I was never tort the difference!

EW

[KeithM]

Hear Hear EcoWarrior, Claire E, you must keep posting on this site, or the very small minority have won. I for one love to read your very informative posts, however in case you don't read this I have PM'd you.