Anger as Queen's Diamond Jubilee party site turns into muddy mess
RESIDENTS are furious after a piece of parkland they want to use for a Diamond Jubilee street party has been turned into a 'muddy mess' by a council mower.
Families say the piece of land in Lightwood desperately needed cutting to make it suitable for their planned celebrations for the Queen in June.
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But instead, a city council worker turned the grass into what families in Melchester Grove claim is a muddy 'monstrosity.'
The row comes after the council revealed plans to cut back on grounds maintenance staff.
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Last summer bosses confirmed the authority had saved £339,000 by not re-appointing 17 seasonal workers responsible for mowing meadows and other public green spaces.
But the city council say the problem is nothing to do with cutbacks and has apologised for the damage.
Barbara Morgan, said the state of the grass land also means her 13-year-old son, Jack, has been left with nowhere to play football.
The 52-year-old, who lives in the street with her husband, Peter, aged 52, said: "Workmen from the city council came along and while they normally just cut the grass, this time they seem to have tried to plough it, or flatten it down.
"Instead all that's happened is that the huge tractor they used has left tyre tracks and turned it into an absolute monstrosity.
"We celebrated the Royal Wedding between William and Kate there and it was lovely. We wanted to do the same thing for the Diamond Jubilee.
"I don't think we will be able to do that now because it's like a mud bath. Unless we wanted to do mud wrestling. "
Housewife Debbie Kane, aged 43, of Melchester Grove, said: "Whoever has done this must surely have realised, as soon as he drove his truck on to there, that all it was doing was dragging up the ground. Anybody with a bit of common sense would have stopped rather than trawl through the whole field.
"We are all worried now that our party is not going to go ahead. I'm not sure how it can if something isn't done to sort it out."
Bagh Ali, city councillor for Lightwood North and Normacot, said: "These people deserve better. I went down to see the field myself and it's awful."
Councillor Janine Bridges, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for city services, said: "A member of staff mowed the land on Tuesday. Unfortunately it has been left in a muddy state. We have apologised and we understand residents' concerns.
"However, no long term damage has been done to the plot, and we will continue to regularly maintain the land. It will be visited on a number of occasions before the Diamond Jubilee celebrations."
Comments
by Wozzer101
Monday, April 30 2012, 7:23PM
“OK Melchester Grove, get a Mud Wrestling Championship going, and I'll bags to be the ref.”
by Juzzah
Monday, April 30 2012, 3:51PM
“'Families say the piece of land in Lightwood desperately needed cutting to make it suitable for their planned celebrations for the Queen in June.' - So the council send someone to cut it and they are wrong??? Council workers do not think about things as most of us already have had experience of so he would have just turned up and done what he was told. He was told to do what was requested of the council by the residents and now it is wrong. Get a grip if you want your party have it somewhere else and stop whining it is public land that is looked after by the council it is not yours and yours only. You do not have a devine right to use it just because it is close to your homes and it is free!!!”
by Wozzer101
Monday, April 30 2012, 2:12PM
“Look, when all said and done, it don't matter what was planed on the green. It is known that the area as a problem with dranage, it always has and the area is not prity well established. If the workmen sent to do the work did not know , they should been informed. There actions now means that what should be area for the public can not be used. It's a simple as that, and not right in the least.”
by Juzzah
Monday, April 30 2012, 1:43PM
“Firstly it is a STREET party not a field party, secondly it is still a month away! Thirdly let's just say they hadn't messed up the field and then it tipped it down on 4th June, where would the resident's hold their pointless party then? Do you not realise the only reason 90% of people care about the jubilee is because it gives them an extra bank holiday!!!”
by Goach
Sunday, April 29 2012, 6:27PM
“By the time that lot had been over it with tables and chairs it would probably have been in the same state anyway.”
by HAGGI5
Sunday, April 29 2012, 10:45AM
“"Nowhere to play football"........that is sad news. Again...moaning stokies who don't go any further than the end of their nose! I'm sure if the lad walked for 10 minutes in any direction, there would be somewhere to play football. Besides, the jubilee is not till June and the grass will have grown again by then. Question is, will the council re-cut it before or after???”
by Speccy9eyes
Sunday, April 29 2012, 8:12AM
“Ah, the old Dunkirk spirit! A bit of mud, and it's all over. Get a grip Melchester Grove residents, and if.you are so set on celebrating an.accident of birth, then put your backs into getting.the green up to the standard you want. Oh, I hear the cries of "health and safety", but the real reason is, you prefer someone else do it all for you. Lazy Sunday afternoon and all that, eh?”
by Tonyjohnt
Saturday, April 28 2012, 7:17PM
“Citizen Smith... someone's giving their age away... and their IQ!”
by lanternhead
Saturday, April 28 2012, 6:55PM
“citizen smith rides again.”
by Wozzer101
Saturday, April 28 2012, 10:24AM
“Tony, mate, it don't matter what these guys want to use the land for, I'm not the greatest fan of the royals as well you know. The point is the actions involving the green on Melchester Grove taken by council workmen were not needed, were not requested and are now preventing the use of the area by people. Sky and the wife got covered in mud Tuesday evening down there, it's cost me a new pair of ladies boots, you know my lady don't need much reason to hit the shoe shops for god sake. I did tell her it might be better to have a look in Tesco and in fact she had more then one pair of boots, she got at least ten pairs not counting the ones she only puts on in the bedroom. Sky was just happy with a good shower, a dry off with a towel and half an hour by the fire.”