Don’t treat our rec as a cash cow

First, Friends of Eagle Rec have not tried to prevent the development plans from ‘taking shape’: quite the reverse. FOER would like everyone to be able to see a clear, precise statement of Waterloo Housing’s intentions, with measurements. Without dimensions, the consultation process is a sham.

Second: as far as anyone can tell, Waterloo’s proposals appear to occupy a substantial chunk of the rec, mowing down two large stands of mature trees in the process. They would not be ‘to the west side’ so much as ‘all over the western third’ of the rec.

What about my claim that WDC fails to support the rec? Well, a respected community development worker from WDC helped to win the 2003-08 bid to obtain very substantial six-figure Doorstep Greens funding from Natural England. Warwick Environmental Trust (WET) was a partner in the bid, and WDC willingly signed up to the associated 80-year covenant against building on the rec. Most people believe that the covenant should protect their recreation ground from developers, and that the council should perceive that the rec benefits the health and wellbeing of the whole community.

In recent years, however, the rec has been mown and tended much less regularly than other green spaces in our town. Similarly, until very recently, litter bins and general litter needed more frequent clearing than they received.

The rec is not a cash cow. I ask WDC to show a little gratitude towards a community who have worked tirelessly to help fund the rec, and so have saved the council large sums of money. We trust our council to do the right thing and honour their agreements with Natural England, the Doorstep Greens programme, and the 80-year covenant.

Jill Barker, Eagle Street, Leamington