County council gets ready to offload Clare Country Park
Wednesday, 1st February 2012.
The future of one of the most popular recreation and leisure spots in the Haverhill area is in the melting pot as Suffolk County Council prepares to get rid of Clare Country Park.
Residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to get involved and have their say on the future of the park.
From this Friday until February 24, local people will be able to submit their views and ideas to be considered by Suffolk County Council.
Since November 2010, the county council has been looking to transfer the ownership and running of the park to a community or local organisation.
The county council remains committed to ensuring that the best outcome for the community and the park is reached and local residents will have a much greater say over how their services are delivered.
The steering group, which comprises representatives from Clare Parish Council, Suffolk County Council, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, the National Trust, English Heritage, Clare Business Society and the Railway Society and the Friends of Clare County Park, has developed three options for the future of the park:
1 St Edmundsbury Borough Council to take on the management of the park from the county council for a limited period of time, while the county council retains responsibility for buildings and castle remains. The borough council will then take on the ownership for the whole park once a sustainable use for the buildings is established;
2 St Edmundsbury Borough Council to take on the management of the park from the county council, as described in Option One, and work with a community group to enable them to take over the running of the park in the longer term;
3 The community takes on the running and ownership of the park directly from the county council.
There will be display boards at the visitor centre on the Clare Castle Country Park site from Friday until Wednesday, February 15, which will allow residents to view the options and proposals.
On Wednesday, February 8, from midday, officers will be available in Clare Town Hall to answer any questions about the options proposed.
This will be followed by a public meeting from 6.30pm where Suffolk County Council's Cllr Judy Terry along with councillors from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Clare Parish Council and the Friends of Clare County Park will be on hand to answer any questions and discuss the proposals in detail. Local residents are invited to attend the meeting to ask any questions they may have.
All proposals for how the park could be run in the future need to:
*be financially self supporting;
*ensure continued public access and stewardship of the historic and environment value;
*have local support;
*have a clear vision for the future of the park.
Cllr Terry, the portfolio holder for the greenest county said: “Often local solutions are more innovative and better able to meet local needs. As a community or individual, you may have many ideas as to how the park could be run differently in the future and we want to hear these ideas.
“I have been impressed with the level of commitment the community has shown so far through the steering group, and the involvement there has been in deciding how the country park could be run in the future. I am eager for this to continue.
"It's important to me that these assets remain available to the community - and we will continue to be flexible with our approach to ensure that this can happen.
"We are committed to the park’s long term future and are determined to ensure it retains its rich and valuable heritage and remains a place that everyone can enjoy.”
All views will be considered in the formal decision making process the county council is required to go through when transferring properties.
Opinions and ideas can be expressed by filling out a questionnaire, available at the exhibition, emailing countryside@suffolk.gov.uk, calling 01473 264786 or visiting www.suffolk.gov.uk/consultations. The deadline for responses is Friday, February 24.
Residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to get involved and have their say on the future of the park.
From this Friday until February 24, local people will be able to submit their views and ideas to be considered by Suffolk County Council.
Since November 2010, the county council has been looking to transfer the ownership and running of the park to a community or local organisation.
The county council remains committed to ensuring that the best outcome for the community and the park is reached and local residents will have a much greater say over how their services are delivered.
The steering group, which comprises representatives from Clare Parish Council, Suffolk County Council, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, the National Trust, English Heritage, Clare Business Society and the Railway Society and the Friends of Clare County Park, has developed three options for the future of the park:
1 St Edmundsbury Borough Council to take on the management of the park from the county council for a limited period of time, while the county council retains responsibility for buildings and castle remains. The borough council will then take on the ownership for the whole park once a sustainable use for the buildings is established;
2 St Edmundsbury Borough Council to take on the management of the park from the county council, as described in Option One, and work with a community group to enable them to take over the running of the park in the longer term;
3 The community takes on the running and ownership of the park directly from the county council.
There will be display boards at the visitor centre on the Clare Castle Country Park site from Friday until Wednesday, February 15, which will allow residents to view the options and proposals.
On Wednesday, February 8, from midday, officers will be available in Clare Town Hall to answer any questions about the options proposed.
This will be followed by a public meeting from 6.30pm where Suffolk County Council's Cllr Judy Terry along with councillors from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Clare Parish Council and the Friends of Clare County Park will be on hand to answer any questions and discuss the proposals in detail. Local residents are invited to attend the meeting to ask any questions they may have.
All proposals for how the park could be run in the future need to:
*be financially self supporting;
*ensure continued public access and stewardship of the historic and environment value;
*have local support;
*have a clear vision for the future of the park.
Cllr Terry, the portfolio holder for the greenest county said: “Often local solutions are more innovative and better able to meet local needs. As a community or individual, you may have many ideas as to how the park could be run differently in the future and we want to hear these ideas.
“I have been impressed with the level of commitment the community has shown so far through the steering group, and the involvement there has been in deciding how the country park could be run in the future. I am eager for this to continue.
"It's important to me that these assets remain available to the community - and we will continue to be flexible with our approach to ensure that this can happen.
"We are committed to the park’s long term future and are determined to ensure it retains its rich and valuable heritage and remains a place that everyone can enjoy.”
All views will be considered in the formal decision making process the county council is required to go through when transferring properties.
Opinions and ideas can be expressed by filling out a questionnaire, available at the exhibition, emailing countryside@suffolk.gov.uk, calling 01473 264786 or visiting www.suffolk.gov.uk/consultations. The deadline for responses is Friday, February 24.
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