Gardener issues warning as council 'reviews' bowling green maintenance
A former Kirklees Council gardener is calling on the local authority to take urgent action as a question mark remains over the future of bowling green maintenance.
In November, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Kirklees Council had "paused" its maintenance of bowling greens due to financial difficulties. This left the future of a Huddersfield club that has been playing at Greenhead Park for 97-years, uncertain, with fears the "vital social support" it provides to pensioners, would be taken away.
At the time, the council said it was reviewing its services across the Parks and Greenspaces department, with no indication of when this would be completed. The council says that maintenance is still “paused”, with meetings being held with clubs to help determine future arrangements.
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However, major concerns have been raised by former council gardener, Peter Fawcett, who fears the greens have been “abandoned”. Mr Fawcett has urged the council to carry out the maintenance works and scrap its “flawed ideas”.
He said: “If maintenance is not carried out it can be soon forgot, as it has to be passed on to by the more experienced gardeners, in order for the knowledge to be learned. Horticultural education must be maintained if a viable workforce is to be had. Or does Kirklees Council want an uneducated staff?
“However all is not lost, as the maintenance work that was not undertaken in the Autumn can just as well be carried out in the Spring. There is another aspect to this, it provides a healthy and skilled hobby to those taking part. It keeps the mind active and provides what Kirklees Council wants - a healthy lifestyle.
“So I call on Kirklees Council to maintain the greens, and pull back from these flawed ideas and carry the work in March.”
Councillor Munir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways said: “Maintenance works on our bowling greens are still paused. We are in the process of contacting and meeting with individual bowling clubs to discuss how we can work together with regards to ongoing maintenance of greens in the future.”
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