Is Millhouses Park the most run down in the city?

[Dave650 10]

It's not a case of high standards it's knowing a bit of kids graffiti isn't going to kill me especially when compared to the wasted money and pointlessness of cleaning it up, I'd rather enjoy the green space....if I had the time.

Why don't you use this thread to recruit people and do something nice for the community. Like I said I can donate paint, unfortunately I don't have time for the next few months.

[chem1st 10]

I went over to Millhouses park a few weeks ago and couldn't quite believe what a state the park was in compared to some of the other parks in the city.

 

This is especially so as, when I was a child, my mother would take me and a group of friends on a bus from Hillsborough for a day out to Millhouses Park as a change from our usual haunts of Hillsborough Park, Rivelin and Loxley/Bradfield.

 

My memories were always of a park that was a cut above the rest and on a par with places like the Botanical gardens and Weston park (which are now both looking wonderful).

 

So my question is, how has this park been allowed to get into the sorry state that it is today?

 

Here are a few photos I took showing some of the worse bits.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/565059689AfdlbB

 

PS. Best viewed as a slide show.

 

No, but hopefully your question can help shame the coucnil into doing up a few of the parks which have been neglected. Richmond district park is at least 5 hectares larger than millhouses park, the facillities present are a bowling green, 3 metal benches, 2/3 metal bins and a 2/3 dog poo bins, all of which are hardly ever emptied. There is the hardstanding where the playground used to be adjacent to the dilipidated tennis courts which lie next to the bowling green.

The rest of the park compromises of a small bike track, a good few wooded areas (some fairly recently planted), a stream and a pond, along with some fields which are used for playing cricket/football, further on is the fields of the local school which have football/rugby pitches.

 

Other than the tree planting, and grass cutting and the occasional emptying of the bins.

 

On the SCC website it says

Playground Maintenance

All the playgrounds in Sheffield's parks and open spaces are inspected on a daily, quarterly and annual basis.

 

The Park and Countryside Service is responsible for the maintenance of all the equipment and facilities provided

 

All new playground equipment complies with European Standard EN1176/7.

However this is clearly not the case as they would have replaced stuff in the park a long time ago.

 

So no, Millhouses isn't the most run down as it has many facillites, and as can be seend they're are larger parks which have facillities that can be counted on one hand.

However, how the hell can a 'district park' which is about 18 hectares have less facillities than most of the other 'local' parks which tend to be under a hectare.

[pininsho 10]

It's not a case of high standards it's knowing a bit of kids graffiti isn't going to kill me especially when compared to the wasted money and pointlessness of cleaning it up, I'd rather enjoy the green space....if I had the time.

Why don't you use this thread to recruit people and do something nice for the community. Like I said I can donate paint, unfortunately I don't have time for the next few months.

 

I have some sympathy with your attitude of the 'pointlessness of cleaning it up' but, then again, you could say that about litter or fly tipping. Why bother? Let's just wallow in our own man made excrement.

As I said on an earlier post I would rather design these problems out in the first place so that they don't even become an issue rather than wasting precious time and money forever scrubbing and painting and getting nowhere.

[pininsho 10]

No, but hopefully your question can help shame the coucnil into doing up a few of the parks which have been neglected. Richmond district park is at least 5 hectares larger than millhouses park, the facillities present are a bowling green, 3 metal benches, 2/3 metal bins and a 2/3 dog poo bins, all of which are hardly ever emptied. There is the hardstanding where the playground used to be adjacent to the dilipidated tennis courts which lie next to the bowling green.

The rest of the park compromises of a small bike track, a good few wooded areas (some fairly recently planted), a stream and a pond, along with some fields which are used for playing cricket/football, further on is the fields of the local school which have football/rugby pitches.

 

Other than the tree planting, and grass cutting and the occasional emptying of the bins.

 

On the SCC website it says

However this is clearly not the case as they would have replaced stuff in the park a long time ago.

 

So no, Millhouses isn't the most run down as it has many facillites, and as can be seend they're are larger parks which have facillities that can be counted on one hand.

However, how the hell can a 'district park' which is about 18 hectares have less facillities than most of the other 'local' parks which tend to be under a hectare.

 

Thanks for your response.

I did visit Richmond Park about a year ago and was quite disappointed as it has the potential to be a lovely park in a relatively featureless part of the city but I found the park to be just that......featureless.

You're right. The playground was non existent, the stream is hidden away (although it wasn't as litter strewn as I expected) whereas this could be made a more prominent feature possibly supplying a new pond towards the bottom of the park. There is a fantasic south facing slope in front of some flats that could become a fantastic wild flower meadow but the main problem seemed to be that the park was mainly being used by dog owners as a public toilet for their dogs.

However the new tree planting areas looked to be thriving and there wasn't as much graffiti as Millhouses Park but that's mainly because of a lack of man made structures in the park, thereby not attracting the vandals but, unfortunately, adding to the blandness of the place.

[chem1st 10]

Thanks for your response.

I did visit Richmond Park about a year ago and was quite disappointed as it has the potential to be a lovely park in a relatively featureless part of the city but I found the park to be just that......featureless.

You're right. The playground was non existent, the stream is hidden away (although it wasn't as litter strewn as I expected) whereas this could be made a more prominent feature possibly supplying a new pond towards the bottom of the park. There is a fantasic south facing slope in front of some flats that could become a fantastic wild flower meadow but the main problem seemed to be that the park was mainly being used by dog owners as a public toilet for their dogs.

However the new tree planting areas looked to be thriving and there wasn't as much graffiti as Millhouses Park but that's mainly because of a lack of man made structures in the park, thereby not attracting the vandals but, unfortunately, adding to the blandness of the place.

 

It's a real shame, I used to play tennis with people in the area there, but now you can't, we even paid to do so and would do again.

It saddens me to think there are no swings etc. It used to be thriving. Now people will drive to norfolk park, graves, meersbrook, millhouses, high hazels, rother valley etc. when there is a really nice park on their doorstep albeit lacking in facillities.

[pininsho 10]

It's a real shame, I used to play tennis with people in the area there, but now you can't, we even paid to do so and would do again.

It saddens me to think there are no swings etc. It used to be thriving. Now people will drive to norfolk park, graves, meersbrook, millhouses, high hazels, rother valley etc. when there is a really nice park on their doorstep albeit lacking in facillities.

 

I believe there is a friends group for the park. Do you know what their plans are?

[The Manager 12]

Theres lots of parks around the city that are very run down, Its just the way it is these days

[Maybeme 10]

Excuse me but have you been and looked at Ecclesfield Park lately. It really does look 'unloved'. But hopefull there are plans afoot to improve the park, hopefully.

[chem1st 10]

I believe there is a friends group for the park. Do you know what their plans are?

 

Yes there is, I believe they are still trying to secure funding. Maybe I should pop down again.

[phlegmatist 10]

Whilst the graffiti on other buildings is bad, I really don't mind that on the skate park and am glad it's where it is - largely because any negativity from the painting is totally offset by what a great spirit the skating area always seems to be being used in.

 

Whenever I've walked past there I've always been struck by how fantastic the atmosphere there is, totally at odds with what I'm sure a lot of people's impression of these facitilities (and the people that use them) is. There is very often a surprisingly diverse range of people using it from mums and dads with their young children going up and down the ramps on their little bikes up the older, really very skilled, 'proper' boarders.

 

They all seem to rub along well and have an excellent time with none of the (by some) expected clashes, drugs, abuse . . . etc

[Tess 10]

 

What do you think of the paddling pools?

 

I think its a shame that they cant be used anymore, and it would be nice if someone swept the leaves out of them once in a while but IMO its nice that they're there, as it gives the park a bit of history, and it would be a shame if the coucil decided to get rid of them.

[Joanl 12]

Sad for me to see as well. I used to go there a lot in my teens and have had many a paddle with my young brother. We were born and brought up in Attercliffe, so to us, it was a bit of "country" that we appreciated.

Packet of sandwiches, some squash in a bottle, 2d for the tram and it was a wonderful day out.

If it's that unloved, I'm surprised some developer hasn't moved in and built on it.