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Appley park is currently in the process of being "remodelled" in that the pitch and putt course is being removed and the park is being reinstated to a public path. This will come as a great relief to the many of us that have had to dodge golf balls hitting us and the residents of Medina Avenue who haven't felt safe in their own gardens.

Whilst I was taking these pictures, on this very gloomy morning, a couple of people passed and asked me if i knew what was going on with the heavy machinery. Having read the notices I told them that the golf course was being removed which resulted in the same response I had, how much is this costing us? Given they we are in the worst economic climate in living memory and the concil have been slashing services how can we afford works taking 4 to 6 weeks, according to the notices, and how can removing 8 greens possibly take so long.

However, one person stated that they had heard rumours of the intention to build houses here in the longer term. Another person said the same to me later this morning and also said that he had been told by surveyor working near Quar Abbey that there were plans to build more houses in the fields there. This in addition to the massive proposed development at Pennyfeathers (between Smallbrook lane and Tesco)

I am left wondering where all the people who will be living in all these new houses are going to work, and where their children are going to go to school.

UPDATE 31 October 2011

A concerned resident has been in contact with me who has manged to ascertain from the council that the remodelling of Appley park is costing in the region of £9,000 ( which as far as I remember is roughly the same amount that the council spent installing an irrigation system to water the greens, without consulting us before hand) and this work is considered necessary to return the greens at Appley park (which the council also installed) back to  'what must have been the original historic landscape designed by Humphry Repton in 1798'.

From this statement I can only assume that the council don't actually know what the original landscape was like in the park. Perhaps it would have been helpful if they had taken some photos before they carved the historic park up to make it into the golf course they are now taking away.

And as to the rumours, that have grown widespread, of the council intending to build houses here in the longer term? Well according to the council officer concerned as far as he is aware there are no plans to use the land for building houses. Which is hardly what I would describe as a definitive statement.

Therefore I have taken the trouble of producing this photoshop impression of what the park could eventually look like, just in case there do happen to be plans that he is unaware of.

Humphry Repton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Humphry Repton (21 April 1752 – 24 March 1818) was the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown; he also sowed the seeds of the more intricate and eclectic styles of the 19th century. His first name is often incorrectly rendered "Humphrey".....con't