This blog is about the little wood behind May Park Primary School in Eastville. There are plans afoot to close the wood to local people. That would be a terrible shame.
The blog is for people who want the wood to be a place for the school and for local people and for wildlife - and I know there are lots of us because I see you all in the wood every day.
Please add a comment at the bottom of the page and tell other people too.
Say why you like the wood and say if you want it kept open to the public. If you could help the school in any small way to look after the wood, say that too. And don't forget to put your name at the end (a first name will do).
I will put up a new post every weekend and sometimes a photo. When enough people have had a say I'll like to send a link to the people in charge (by the way, who IS in charge??) to show them how important the wood is to local people.
I like the little wood because I can watch the changing seasons there. The trees laden with snow recently were beautiful. My dog loves to sniff around and there are birds, butterflies and foxes. I go there almost every day. Easton has so little green space, the little wood is a great mini escape.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura and congratulations - you're the first person to post a comment! Let's hope the first of many. And how right you are - it's a great mini escape, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteHaving walked these woods for over 12 years now I feel it has really contributed to my happiness! the Happiness Index states that local green spaces are really important and we all know, green spaces have an immense impact on our overall happiness. Not only do they impact our health, fitness and emotional wellbeing, they also contribute to our communities, air quality, nature, freedom and our children’s sense of adventure and independence.
ReplyDeleteI would really miss this wood and so would my children.
I live right nearby and didn't know this wood existed until I saw this blog! I think it's so important to have wild green spaces in inner city area's, when I go for a walk in the woods all the stress and pressure of city life melts away. I'm really glad to have discovered this little wood and really hope it isn't closed.
ReplyDeleteWould be a great shame if the school was closed to the local community, it's a little touch of nature that is so different from the formality of the parks and more formal open spaces. you can feel a sense of being lost in it even though it's a relatively small space. It's my nearest park. I'd like the school to reconsider.
ReplyDeleteI saw a notice this morning attached to the lapmpost on the far side of the wood.
ReplyDeleteThe school is hosting 2 x 1 hour meetings to show their plans for the wood to the local community next on Wednesday 19 January - first session is 3 - 3pm [ I think] the second is 5 - 6 pm.
Would be good to get a few people to go along to both sessions.
Yup I shall be there and am planning to -the more the merrier. In terms of public consultation the sign is not accessible to people who walk in the walks to see it is? From the messages from Counsellor and School governor she has a very low opinion of Dog walkers and does not see the value of walkers with dogs or not!
ReplyDeleteThe highjacking and destruction of public green spaces in Bristol by City developers and similar moneygrabbing lowlives is getting completely out of hand.
ReplyDeleteI have just been to the meeting and the points made were that the land never belonged to the community and we are trespassing. I thought that a tad territorial and still feel it is incorrect. Points to raise are that the planting of the trees and the Legacy of that was, in a lot of local peoples opinion, for prolonged community use.Also they are not doing enough to publicise the consultation they have a duty to do so-they were quite narked at that but it is true - I know Ian saw something on a lamp post - but I saw nothing which is why I laminated 2 letters someone forwarded me about the meeting. I chased an invite.
ReplyDeleteMy other point is that they will just be displacing the problem
Lots of very out dated attitudes about fencing children off to keep them safe [people will still get in, animals will still poo]and I could not let it go which is silly as its an advanced idea that that particular audience is not ready to comprehend, silly me. I detest fenced off play areas.Look like cages.And that alienates local people and makes them care less about valuing the environment. Check out 'Places of Woe' and 'places of poosibility' [playlink] The idea of School as a local community resource is not welcome here! They are missing a trick here - we could help kids learn how to approach dogs
- we could go for friends of May Park Woods to allow continued use [but it would only be at agreed times??] We are seen as offensive and the attitude is children are at risk of everything and ewveryone. Terrible message to give out partnered with the other message that 'we give you the wood , we take away the wood'.
Thanks for the update on the meeting Faith and some really interesting angles on the problem.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though the school is very dug in on the issue, so our best chance is to bring pressure to bear by other means. We ought to consider bringing forward the 'picnic in the woods' event - before the fence goes up!
I will put up a new post later with some ideas for other things we can do. Thanks to everyone who has so far commented and joined the blog. Please encourage others and don't give up. We have a strong set of arguments and growing support.
Andy, as promise I have emailed all of the contacts I took at the meeting.
ReplyDeleteI thought I would be able to see your email via this blog but I can't can you send it to : ianplayer@mac.com
I would like to support the campaign to save the woods. I love them & often walk there. I didn't hear about the meetings in time to go. What are the schools plans exactly? Are they planning to chop down the trees?
ReplyDeleteNo the plans are not to cut any more woods just fence them off. The last bit bit of actual damage to the woods was wehn they cut about 30 young trees to put 'temporary' building and re-route the fence
ReplyDeletePLans are to stop public access
Anyone been using the woods recreationally for 20 years or more?
ReplyDeleteif so we can go for town green status
Check out Open spaces society
they have sample questionnaires
We need to apply to bcc
Dan Bennett [a criminal injuries lawyer I think he said] very interested in keeping open spaces has been v.helpful nd will look over any applications.
Keep the Faith!
Have had a few peeps have real problems joinging this blog -any ideas ?
ReplyDeletePlease check out this link: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/this-green-and-private-land-637000-acres-of-woodland-up-for-sale-2196687.html
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to copy and paste.I don't know how to post a link here
I have lived here for over 23 years and have been able to use the wood all of this time. It is a nice route to get to Eastville Park, Royate Hill, Fishponds or the allotments. I hope that you will consider supporting us to keep the woods as a nature area for all of the children and neighbours not just the children that attend May Park
ReplyDeleteMy children (who did not go to May Park school) have used the woods to play. We have picked berries and nuts, witnessed hedgehog families, fed the birds - seen woodpeckers and foxes. They have seen the trees grow and mature and they have respect for the countryside.
Whilst I appreciate that many children at May Park do not have gardens and would benefit from using the woods for lessons (as they did when the woods were first planted) they will only be at the school for 7 years and then they still won't have a garden. Many of these children walk to school through the woods and play in them on their way home.
I feel very strongly that green spaces and nature areas are being taken away from the local children and residents. Since we have lived here we lost access to the lido from the cycle track, the field on Greenbank Road, the space at Greenbank School and Packers field.
The school do not look after the wood at all. If you look at the driveway that the children use every day it has not been cleaned for the last 4 months. There is no provision of bins..
In fact not only has the school not looked after the wood they have caused significant damage. They built one portacabin and left all of the rubbish and rubble in the woods. Now they have built a second portacabin and again left devastation taking out lots of trees. Planning told me that they surveyed the area and found that “There is nothing of note” Contractors had no regard for the planning regulations e.g they were told that provision had to be made for cycle parking before the building began but they did not do this. They laid pipes outside of the area that was on the plans. They have left rubble, pipes, metal fence posts and brackets, bags etc and made no attempt to clear this up.
The school need to expand to accept more pupils and have a number of proposals to increase their space. I believe that if they have manage to exclude the public from the woods they will be in a much stronger position to get planning permission to build on the area. T
We need people who have used the area for 20 years or more to provide sworn witness statements. Please let us know if you are able to provide this.
I sympathise will the opinion to keep the wood open to the public. BUT for those living nearby (some since 1977), this place has been a NIGHTMARE, re: a breeding ground for drugs, sex (gang rape!), alcohol drinking, gangs and people with dogs leaving their shit everywhere without picking it up! Prostitues regularly visit the wood. Recently, the drugs and sex litter van picked up 46 condoms in and around the wood ... local residents have had enough of this! I support the school in finally taking the initiative do something positive with the land. I also want to stress, local people did NOT plant the wood - teachers, pupils and parents did this.
ReplyDeleteI too love the wood, but let's face it nobody bothered look after it - the school (it's their property) will do this. Perhaps in the future a section of the wood will be made accessible to the public (no dogs allowed please).
Thanks.
I know myself and some of the other dog walkers have routinely looked after the wood by picking up rubbish and collecting their dog poos.If the wood gets closed the problem described above will just go on elsewhere -in the street below-its equally isolated or on Rosemary Green. The real problem we all share is that rubbish gets left .If you go out and check it -lots is on the route to school as the school kids drop their rubbish. That is easy enough to pick up - but the actual damage has been by education -building destroying trees and dumping rubble -hazardous steel poles lumps of conrete and the like on it. The wood was planted with intention that is was for the community and the school community - I have been led to believe that is how the funding for the purchase of the trees was successful.
ReplyDeleteNIGHTMARE? Shit everywhere? 46 condoms? It's good to see another view on the blog, but I don't recognise the place you are describing. I've been visiting the wood most days, often twice a day, for five years. Occasionally someone leaves a dog turd or, rarer still, a condom. There's a lot more of both on the street and in the bushes outside the wood. I've never seen any drug litter although last week I collected I bin bag full of litter including bottles and cans. So I think these problems are exaggerated, often by people who don't visit the wood. I and others do our best to keep the litter in check. If there were more dialogue with the school, there's plenty more we could do to help keep it cleaner and safer and more interesting for the children.
ReplyDeleteSo ANONYMOUS, tell us what your problem is, rather than all the problems you hear about from other people - then we can see if there is a way to tackle it that doesn't mean closing the wood.
And come on - parents and pupils ARE local people, and some of them still live here and still visit the wood, so let's not pursue that argument any further
Andy, you don't live behind the woods, so you don't really know the issues residents face. That said, you are right, the majority of condoms have been found outside of the wood - on the bushes and in the car park on caraway gardens. Drugs have taken place in the wood, along with a gang rape - there is evidence for this - the police are aware, this is documented.
ReplyDeleteI live behind the wood, I SEE the problems and so do my neighbours.
The school had an open meeting (yes - it should have been made more public), unfortunately a minority chose to disrupt the meeting resulting in the cancellation of a play by some school children. Passions need to be controlled please.
I received a letter (yesterday) posted by supporters of those wishing to keep the wood open to the public .. in this they appear misguide local people by stating: ."... and be more in keeping with the original intentions of the people who planted it". BUT the school initiated/organised the planting of the trees, the school (teachers/parents/children - many are not local) planted the trees, there is evidence for this. However, I agree with people on this forum/blog - the school/local authority neglected the wood :(
Overall, I hope we come to agreement to accomodate all views. It is great to see the public willing to help maintain the woods, re: keep it safe, and clean.
Anonymous, thanks for keeping the conversation going. I hope, if we can persuade the school to sit down and talk about this, that you will join that discussion. But so far we haven't been able to get them to talk to us really They've told us their plans, but that's a different thing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll meet you at the event next Saturday?
I had an anonymous note about this blog come through my door, so I thought I'd take a look.I often walk my dog through these woods and have done for many years. I love the woods. I was saddened to read about the anti-social behaviour that goes on there, but it is true that they are uncared for and I always see litter (drink, needles, condoms, craps and a big fly-tip of plastic recently).
ReplyDeleteBut I was thinking that perhaps the school will care for it properly afterall?
It's annoying for me because I'll have to change my route and routine, but the author above is quite right, I do have the green next door, Royate Hill & Eastville Park.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am a parent and my child attends May Park School. Its great to hear that so many people care about this wood but please try and think of the children of this school.
Many of them do not have access to a green space at all and would be given the chance to experience this if the school could clean it up and make it safe for them. The children of the school have come up with their own plans for the wood...designing wilflife trails and want to put picnic benches up etc and this can not happen if they are open to the public also. This is for obvious reasons to do with the safety of the children. Also anyone worried about the wildlife in the wood, well surely it would thrive if it was more contained and had less people wandering though at all hours?
The school has had to put up temporary buildings due to the lack of primary school places for children in Bristol and because of all the hard work from the head teacher in improving the school over the last few years the school is expanding. This is something that cannot be prevented and is a result of our area being over-populated.
The wood will be preserved and kept safe by the school and is seen as a very precious thing to have on the grounds of a school considering the sights of other schools in the area.
So all im asking is just take a minute to think of others that may not have the means to experience a wood or wildlife or perhaps the open mind to take a walk further out of town to an open space. The children will be introduced to this wood in a educational place and tought to respect the space which will stay with them for the rest of their lives and surely worth the sacrifice on the general public's part? It is only an extra 5 mins walk to eastville park or royate hill for dog walkers and we have had many happy times walking with our children in the cemetary looking at wildlife and rolling around on the grass.
I feel that if more people in this community had more involment with the school and understood the struggles it faces they would change their mind. It really is a lovely school and if more parents chose this school for their children instead of ferrying them out to other areas of bristol(sorry if you don't) then it could become more integrated with the community and the beliefs of this blog.
Thank you for listening.
Good evening,
ReplyDeleteI have two children at the school I too feel that the school has the interests of the children at it's heart.
We are so lucky to have this school in Eastville - it is by far the best in the area and Ofsted report really favorably on the quallity provision they provide.I know the Head teacher and many of the staff who care deeply about their school are immensly proud of it.
It lifts my spirits to think of this woodland being cared for by the children and of them learning about nature in this place.
They need a fence to keep them safe.
I know the school want to share the woods with other local groups too.
Parents of May Park children whole-heartedly trust the school to care for their woodland responsibily.
We are talking about a very good school which serves 500 children and their families.
Thank you for reading
And what about the children who go to Whitehall / Bannerman Rd and live locally -who do not have an extra 5 or 10 minutes to get to other green spaces? Bristol Children and young peoples services are desperate for more school places.The push is on to find space.This can be done without stopping people who use it regularly now being excluded.A dog walker stopped kids on the roof of the school this sunday from throwing any more stones at the atrium. We help keep it nice for all!
ReplyDeleteI live very near the woods and my children attend the school. In the 12 years I have lived here the only young people I have seen in the woods are teenagers. None of us parents allow our younger children in the woods because it is unsafe. Rosemary Green is right next to the wood and Royate Hill 5 mins along the road. Eastville Park has green spaces, play areas, huge woods, a river, lakes and out to Snuff Mills. The cycle path is up the road.
ReplyDeleteI believe the school does want to work with the community and schools like Bannerman Road by caring for their wood, and using it as a place to learn. My children who attend the school have told me how they plan to nurture their woods and develop them, by planting wild flowers, build bird boxes and hedgehog houses, create a bog garden and pond, and share the woods with community groups.
The school need to fence the woods to keep the children safe.
The dog walkers need to allow the school to peacefully fence off their wood and then look at ways in which it can be used safely by a greater majority of the community.
But where will the people go who make the problems you mention -Rosemary Green, Royate Hill and Eastville Park Snuff Mills! Cynically I would say it is about fear of litigation and not out of some altruistic desire to keep it nice for the people of Easton. Everything that is being done is just going to move any problems on to other areas where our children can play.My teenager routinely goes to this little wood to play!. All the places you mention are that much further away and less likely to be visited by him and his peers. The school has done very little to work with the majority of people who walk here on a daily basis - in fact they just do not respond to our correspondence.
ReplyDeleteHi Andy,
ReplyDeleteSorru I couldn't get to the meeting today? How did it all go?
Cheers
Chris
Hi there , the school is not a big city developer hijacking green spaces - it is trying to do something very good for local people - after all it is local children who go to the school , many of those children live in flats without easy access to safe enclosed places to play except at the school . It is a wonderful thing for inner city children to have access to such a space daily ( for the school wishes to offer use of it's redeveloped little woodland to other local schools regularly) . Of course it would be wonderful if it was possible to keep it open to the public and keep it safe and clean . But we live in an area that is often disrespected by irresponsible people that is especially true of secluded or partially hidden places , and through my experince as a jogger - i liked to run through the wood on the way to the park - I found the joke comments about drugs and sex trade litter not to be exaggerrated. My experince as a mother walking my toddlers to the Playhouse past Rosemary Green and the woodland most mornings has led me to regard that area as a haven for flytippers and irresponsible dog walkers who really do y use the place as a dog toilet . I have actually witnessed people drive up to the area and let their dogs out of the car while they sit and wait for them to foul the green and the woodland . Obviously these are probably not loocals , but it happens all the same ; how can this be prevented in order to keep the space safe and clean ? And how can children be safe playing there if the place is not fenced off ? We cannot open our schools to the public while children are in there . It seems to me to be an either or situation , and although it is a shame that it will not be available to responsible dog walkers and joggers like me i feel the children have much more need of it ; there is a park very close by for dog walkers and a little nature reserve close by too for intrepid pooches , and the green will still be available too . mandy , saddenned by the perceived need for this blog - of greenbank .
ReplyDeleteIf every bit of grass and woodland that was being trashed by unattractive sections of the public were shut, we wouldn't have any left in cities at all. If there is a particularly bad problem in this particular place, the local police should deal with it. Why isn't the council seeing to it that they are?
ReplyDeleteThat fence is such a brutal barrier. What utter bullies the City council and the school have been.
ReplyDeleteIn your opinion Faith. Many of us whose houses are directly adjacent to the woods can feel a bit safer now.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the Packers Field fiasco.
ReplyDeleteWhen are people going to face the fact that Easton is already vastly overcrowded, with the authorities trying to cram in far too many people into too small a space?
Quality of life is being destroyed in the area, and no amount of fencing will solve the social problems being created.
So it seems that one person isn't bothered by all the problems that parents and local residents have talked about here.
ReplyDeleteHW Esther
ReplyDeleteActually lots of us care deeply and those problems such as rubbish being left have not been tackled.
For people determined and keen to be out of sight- it is in fact even more protected for them to do so. So I do not think the problems cited have been solved. As a local resident I do not feel my views or suggestions have been listened to and I badly miss an area I have grown very attached to and cared deeply about.