ePetition details

At an open public meeting of the Roundwood Park Group on 22 June 2011, a presentation was made by Groundwork London about its plans to hold a consultation about the future of the park.

One of the questions raised at the meeting concerned the community café, which is situated in the park. Most people attending the meeting agreed the café is integral to the overall character and culture of the park itself and, as such, an important focal point for the local community. Its environs are also an important play area for many families with children, offering an integrated family environment not found in the children’s playground itself.

We understand that the council is currently inviting expressions of interest from parties wishing to tender for the leasehold of the café. There is a concern that in the current climate, without the decision about the café being made within an overall strategy for the park, the leasing process will be driven by purely financial considerations, disadvantaging the current community management committee and therefore risking a devaluation of the considerable social capital that the café clearly represents.

More generally, there was consensus that that any consultation about the park and any proposals arising from such a consultation would be seriously incomplete if they did not include the café and its grounds, which could possibly benefit from the plans, to the good of the park as a whole.

We would therefore like to request that this process be held in abeyance pending the outcome of the consultation. Failing that, we would like to request that any final decision about the lease of the café not be taken until the consultation is complete and Groundwork’s proposals, including those about the café, can be considered.

This ePetition ran from 25/06/2011 to 06/08/2011 and has now finished.

95 people signed this ePetition.