'Increasing dismay' over commercial event damages to Northampton's parks

Labour councillor Jane Birch is also calling on the council to plan events ‘more efficiently’ in a motion she will raise at full council next Monday (November 5).

Councillor Birch says in her motion: “We note with increasing dismay the effects of holding commercial events on our town parks resulting in damage to the grass and terrain and the disruption to local residents.

“The damage to the parkland is taking months to repair and meanwhile our residents are not able to enjoy the full use of these public open spaces.

“We call on this administration to plan these events more efficiently so as to not continually site events in the same area.”

The deputy Labour leader also calls for the council to ‘allocate greater resources for repair’, although it is unclear whether this is meant to be more staff or more money.

Councillor Birch, who is a ward member for Trinity, wants to ensure that the authority is compensated for the costs of any repairs, and calls for a strategy to be developed for the letting of parks for commercial ventures to be implemented so that the damage caused can be ‘mitigated’.

The motion is being seconded by fellow Labour councillor Cathrine Russell, but will require the support of the ruling Conservative party if it is to progress any further at The Guildhall.