The Bradley Stoke Journal

The Friends of Jubilee Green are holding a public meeting on Monday (15th February) to plan their activities for 2010.

The independent group, set up to improve and promote the play park and community space adjacent to the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road, says it will be discussing fund raising and planning family activities for the year.

The main projects in the coming months will be the construction of a ‘youth structure’ (a.k.a. ‘teen shelter’) and the installation of an extra item of play equipment.

The group intends to apply for a grant to fund the projects but will have to find 10% of the costs itself, which it hopes can be raised through community fund raising events.

Family events to be organised during the year are likely to include a repeat of the successful ‘fun in the sun’ play sessions.

Michelle Dent, Chair of the Friends Group, says:

We are hoping that anyone who is interested in either joining our group or helping out on an ad hoc basis will come along and share their ideas and offer help. Without additional support the number of activities we can organise will be limited.

The meeting takes place on Monday 15th February at the Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road, starting at 7:30pm.

Related link: Play Areas in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

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The results of a survey of users of the Jubilee Green play park have been published by the Friends of Jubilee Green volunteer group.

89% of the 55 people polled said they would like access to toilets at the park and 71% said they would visit the park more often if they had permanent access to toilets at the Savages Wood Road site.

The news reinforces representations already made to Bradley Stoke Town Council, which does not allow members of the public to use toilets at the nearby Jubilee Centre when any of its rooms are in use by hirers.

36% of users think the park is “great”, with the remaining 64% classifying it as “OK, but could be better”.

The most-mentioned positive feature about the park was the nest swing, named by 47% of respondents.

The park was officially opened in July 2009 following two months of construction funded by the Big Lottery Fund, South Gloucestershire Council and Bradley Stoke Town Council.

The Friends have also updated the Projects page of their website to detail improvements planned for the park, which include a “youth space”, a living willow fence, additional play equipment, an orchard and a community garden.

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Residents of Bradley Stoke and beyond are being asked for their views on the town’s Jubilee Green play park, adjacent to the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road.

The park was officially opened in July 2009 following two months of construction funded by the Big Lottery Fund, South Gloucestershire Council and Bradley Stoke Town Council.

The Friends of Jubilee Green, a group of volunteers set up to improve and promote the play park and community space, are asking users to complete a survey to provide feedback and help prioritise new projects.

Two issues that have already caused concern, according to information on the Friends’ website, are car parking and the use of toilets at the nearby Jubilee Centre.

Visitors to the park are warned that cars parked in the Jubilee Centre car park are liable to get locked in should the centre close while they are visiting the park.

With no public toilet facilities at the site, park users are advised to walk to the town’s Willow Brook shopping centre. This is because the Town Council does not allow members of the public to use toilets within the Jubilee Centre when any of its rooms are in use by hirers.

Completed survey forms [MS Word] must be returned by Friday 13th November.

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The Friends of Jubilee Green group have announced that Bradley Stoke’s new adventure play park at Savages Wood Road is now fully open.

The park had been temporarily closed for a few days after the official opening on Friday 24th July “to allow completion of the site”.

Information on the Friends website says:

“Following the incredibly popular opening of the park we are sure many people were disappointed when the park had to be temporarily closed to allow the safe installation of the last few pieces of equipment. The opening on the 24th July went ahead as it would have been an impossible task to publicise a last minute postponement of the opening and move the companies and groups that had generously provided their time, crafts and refreshments for free.”

Spokesperson Michelle Dent has now told The Journal:

“The contractors have now installed the nest swing and climbing frame. They’ve cleared the site of all their equipment and sewn grass seed on the bare mud on Jubilee Green.”

Michelle adds that the Friends will be holding ‘Fun in the sun’ play sessions in Jubilee Green Park on Saturday 15th August and Sunday 23rd August (12-2pm):

We will be bringing all the toys kindly donated by Tesco Express Winterbourne including: buckets, spades, footballs, skipping ropes, cricket and badminton sets as well as a play parachute donated by Bradley Stoke Matters. All we need is the sun! Naturally if it is raining we will not be running the sessions. Keep an eye on our website for cancellation notices and future dates. There will be no toilet or refreshments available so bring a picnic.

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Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC) has issued a statement confirming that the recently-opened play park on Jubilee Green has been temporarily closed “to allow completion of the site”.

The move confirms a comment left by a reader on this website yesterday (Monday 27th July), which claimed that the park had already been closed just days after the grand opening last  Friday (24th July).

That reader expressed disappointment and questioned whether the park should have been opened at all if it was not finished.

Other readers have left comments claiming that the mud and turf at the park “is a mess” and that it still “looks like a building site”.

Before construction of the park started in May, the Town Council said that a period of about three weeks would elapse between completion of the project and opening to public, allowing “turf on the site to establish”. However, construction delays combined with a reluctance to move the announced opening date meant that workers were still clearing away equipment and fencing just minutes before the Mayor cut the ribbon to officially open the facility.

Today’s statement from BSTC says:

The Town Council is very pleased with the large turnout on the day and positive feedback received so far and it is hoped that the site will be completed and reopened in time for the weekend.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and hope everyone will agree it’s worth it in the end.

Anyone interested in helping shape future development of the green should contact the Friends Group for details of how to get involved.

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