Victoria Park petition launched

However, going into Victoria Park of an evening just goes to show how many people might use the park in the winter months were it lit up.

The warmer weather which ended March certainly helped, but my recent training runs have seen me exchanging pleasantries with runners, cyclists and dog walkers aplenty.

It made me even more determined to see the facility used year-round and has reignited what, let’s face it, was a pretty half-hearted campaign.

So armed with my demands (ok, demand) I wrote up my manifesto and circulated the petition to the district’s running clubs.

The majority of the reaction has been positive, though I know there are concerns that lighting up the park in the winter months may encourage anti-social behaviour, particularly teenage drinking.

But whereas summer evenings are made for hanging about in the outdoors, it would need pretty hardy souls to stick it out in the winter when offered the warmth of their bedrooms.

Another query related to just how long the lights would be on and the cost involved.

I confess I hadn’t really given too much thought to the mechanics of it all, but until 8.30pm seems reasonable, allowing a decent post-work window for safe exercise.

Expense could be lessened by getting the lighting sponsored by the district’s businesses. A lamppost each perhaps?

Alternatively, I hear there might be a job-lot of unsold Olympic torches coming up that would be perfect for the task.

Click here to sign