Report by Rob Hattersley on AGM presentation, 12 October 2005
Mark Hubbard was unanimously re-elected as Chair of the Friends of Castle Green at the campaigning group's AGM on 12 October, and immediately outlined exciting and ambitious plans to take Hereford's beautiful and historic park into the next 30 years. Speaking at the Woolhope Room at Hereford Library, Mark outlined ideas including a Fairtrade community cafe, a riverside cafe-bar, new toilets, new walk routes and a new outdoor covered venue for concerts and other meetings.
Long term vision needed
Mark emphasised the need for a long term vision for the park rather than the off-the-hoof approach of recent years which has seen waterfalls, bandstands and applications for major capital grants come and go with little long term effect. No councillors were present at the meeting.
Place of retreat
The park had acted as a place of retreat for the city for over a thousand years, he said, yet in recent years it had been neglected.
On the southern bank, shrubs were out of control, obscuring the view for the first time in a millenium and providing a haven for bag snatchers, drug dealers and litter louts. English Heritage are willing to draw up a management plan for this section and English Nature and Herefordshire Council, as well as the Friends, will be part of developments on the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - as is all of the river and bank.
Improvement to Hoggs Mount steps
Herefordshire Council had backtracked on an exciting lottery bid but had instead earmarked £30,000 for an immediate park facelift, suggesting more lighting. The Friends of Castle Green had successfully argued against this and for a longer term vision into which well thought out and long-term improvements could be made. Negotiations with the Council have now resulted in a plan to renovate and upgrade the steps to Hoggs Mount from Mill Street, which are currently very dangerous. This will include a handrail and a sloped section for wheelchairs, bikes and pushchairs, with low level lighting. This project should come to fruition during 2006.
Mark spoke about problems with the toilet block. The building adds to the feeling that people on the Green are not being watched as it blocks the view. Suspected drug dealers are regularly seen in the area, it is rundown, smelly and something of an embarassment. Could we get rid of it? New toilets could be placed in a new community cafe, so they would be 'supervised'.
Best venue in Hereford
The Bowling Club is moving to Aylestone Hill in the next two years and the lease on the Council-owned club house will be up for grabs. The Friends could use it initially as a seasonal cafe. A marquee could cover the bowling green, providing possibly the best venue in Hereford - open but dry. Events such as 'Screen on the Green', Fairs and concerts would become possible, developing the community focus of the park but also raising revenue. The clubhouse could become a centre for history, offering historical talks and projects to local schools and making better use of Castle Green. This would give young people a real sense of the importance of the Green as primary school children - perhaps they would respect the area more when teenagers as a result.
The canoe centre was great where it was, but if the training centre could be moved those rooms could be developed into an outstanding cafe-bar, with river views, that could be open into the evening all year round. The presence of this facility, and the community cafe, would transform the 'feel' of the park, making it safer for everyone. A visitor centre could also be housed in this venue.
A lively question and answer discussion followed Mark's talk. The AGM agreed that the committee should begin talking to others about the Clubhouse. It was also agreed that the Park should pay for itself in the long run and that the ideas outlined could provide this in a way that was sustainable in every respect - economically as well as environmentally. Rev. Paul Towner, Chair of the local Residents Association - JABA - said that if the City had a Parish Plan it would make it easier to develop a long term vision for the Park too - and that changing the use of the Clubhouse might well trigger this. Other members of the meeting praised the vision of the Friends for the long term future of the park and hoped that both local councils would become enthusiastic too.