Radford residents fed up of park blighted by yobs, litter and drug taking

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Radford residents fed up of park blighted by yobs, litter and drug taking

Postby dutchman » Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:05 pm

They say the issues have been going on for years

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Coventry residents have told CoventryLive that anti-social behaviour and safety concerns has left them feeling unable to use their local park.

Residents using Radford Recreation Ground allege the park is being for drug taking, alcohol, and by off-road bikes.

This, coupled with the park walkway having no lighting, has left them frustrated, with one resident resorting to cleaning up litter every week.

Speaking to CoventryLive anonymously at the park, one concerned resident said: "There'd be smashed glass across the pavement, in the grass, the hedges were completely overgrown, creating a vulnerable area to what's going on behind the hedges."

On the day that we visited the park, Coventry City Council had reduced the height of that hedge.

The resident, who lives 200 yards from the park, said that something needs to be done to make it safe for families and the elderly.

Recalling an incident in 2019, he said: "I was walking down the main footpath and there were males spread out the front of the pavement, spitting, clearly wanting some trouble.

"I think if I was a little more vulnerable or elderly, it may have been a different matter.

"I think that's what spurred me on to be reporting it [to the council]."

He said that one resident has resorted to coming out to the park herself to litter pick and keep it clean.

But he says more needs to be done to make the park safe for local people, particularly the elderly using it as an exercise route in the day time.

The resident added: "People behind the hedges they would be drinking, making fires, occasions of people pitching tents in here, and quite rightly, if they've got nowhere to live, if they're homeless, it should be a safe area for them."

He went on: "People are potentially drug taking, you know, looking at the demeanour of them when they're behind the hedge."

Empty beer cans and bottles as well as litter could also be seen by the hedge in question, which has since been trimmed down by the council.

The resident went on: "I feel like it shouldn't be down to me to be continually pushing for maintenance of the hedging, the clearing of glass, I get we've all got a responsibility in the community but I think there needs to be more pro-activeness from the council."

Referring to safety in the park, he said: "There is no lighting along this walkway whatsoever, in the winter months by 4:30pm it's absolutely pitch black. We've got the street safe programme being trialled by the Government as well, for safe spaces for women and girls, we need to highlight that."

Another local resident, walking his dog at the time, told CoventryLive: "[It has been] happening a long time."

"Drugs are going on, young kids are coming through from school."

He added: "They clean it up, and the next few weeks it's the same again."

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Re: Radford residents fed up of park blighted by yobs, litter and drug taking

Postby dutchman » Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:46 pm

Rubbish floods 'high risk' Coventry park as fly-tipping continues

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A Coventry resident says his local park has been flooded with rubbish as the bin strikes continue and has urged Coventry City Council to act now.

Will Wilson told CoventryLive that this week he has seen shopping trolleys overflowing with waste in Radford Recreation Ground.

Mr Wilson uses the park every day and says it was already a "high risk area", but fly-tipping in the wake of bin strikes has made it worse.

We reported last month how residents say the recreation ground has become blighted by yobs, litter and drug taking.

Mr Wilson said that since the bin strikes were announced, those who cannot get to the council-run waste drop-off sites have started using the recreation ground to fly-tip.

"It's a high risk area," he told CoventryLive.

"It appears the bin strike's knock-on effect is fly-tipping. This rubbish has been in place for about a week now; bins overflowing, rubbish strewn around behind the hedging area and on the main park.

"I know the council have got their hands full but where's the continuity plan? If people can't get to the sites, the easy option is to fly-tip."

"The lack of proactiveness from the council and having a continuity plan to focus on these areas, as soon as you hear the drivers are going on strike you just know there's going to be some fly-tipping, how will they mitigate the risk?"

"It is pure lack of foresight in my opinion, it is only going to get worse as the strikes go on until March."

"The Council should proactively target the high risk areas because they know the strikes are going on until March."

Coventry City Council did not respond to our approach for comment regarding rubbish at Radford Recreation Ground.

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