It’s a park and not a car park

I am writing to express my dismay at recommendations contained within the report submitted to the executive committee regarding the car parking in Victoria Park, Leamington, during the summer holidays whilst the National Bowl Championships is taking place. The report goes against the express wishes of local people and also contrary to a commitment given to the Friends of Victoria that no such recommendation would be given.

I see that most of you are not local to the Victoria Park area of Leamington so I thought it would be useful to highlight the local opposition to losing large sections of the park, including the tarmac loop which is immensely popular with children on bikes and scooters over the summer holidays, not to mention with runners and joggers. The bowls event takes place during the school summer holidays when the park, the largest open space in Leamington, is most used and both puts people off coming to the park and greatly reduces the size of the park available to users. I also notice the cynical change to the plan to reduce the number of days, by just two days, so that planning permission is not required.

As elected representatives of local people I hope that your primary concern will be representing those local views in all matters. Please allow us to keep Victoria Park as just that - a park, not a carpark.

James Hartwright, Warwick Place, Leamington