AN IPSWICH park is cleaner, safer and greener today after a major clean-up operation to rid it of litter, dog fouling and anti-social behaviour took place.
AN IPSWICH park is cleaner, safer and greener today after a major clean-up operation to rid it of litter, dog fouling and anti-social behaviour took place.
Ipswich Borough Council joined forces with Suffolk police yesterday to tackle problems affecting the town centre's Christchurch Park.
The project was carried out ahead of this Sunday's Remembrance ceremony and as a pre-cursor to the £4.5million make-over of the park scheduled to begin next year.
Jim Manning, head of community safety for Ipswich Borough Council, said: “The day had two aims. The first was to put a presence into the park with a combination of undercover policing and council staff and the second was to undertake a clearance blitz to get the place ready for Remembrance Sunday.
“The idea is to work through the main parks at different times, carrying out different types of blitzes.”
Members of the council's parks team spent the day cutting back trees, trimming the edge of pathways and ensuring the gardens were at their best.
Litter enforcement officers also patrolled the park to fine those seen dropping litter.
Worthy bags, clip-on poop scoop dispensers, were also handed out to dog owners in a bid to prevent fouling.
Sam Pollard, park manager, said: “The aim of the day was really to hit anti-social behaviour of all kinds.
“We want it to a brilliant area for people to come and enjoy themselves.
“There are lots of little niggles in the park and there is certainly a bad perception of some groups.”
Mr Pollard said the public said there had been complaints about groups who hung around in the park but he said most of them were tidy and well-behaved with only a few occasionally dropping litter and creating a bad impression.
He said police were working in the park to try and tackle drugs issues and said work would be beginning in the New Year on toilets and pathways to be improved with Heritage Lottery funding.
How do you think the park can be improved? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
Weblink:
www.ipswich.gov.uk
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