Protest re Dulwich Park early morning opening hours

[Lollipop]

The park is used by lots of dog walkers, cyclists and joggers early in the morning. They now want to keep it locked until 8am. By that time, those who work will be heading in. Please help us by sending the following to your local councillor(s)http://www.southwark.gov.uk/Public/Councillor.aspx

We are writing to request that earlier opening and wider accessibility of the park be incorporated in the current proposed changes to the park opening arrangements.

As daily early morning users of Dulwich Park for exercise and dog walking for many years, we, and many others have enjoyed the park between 7 and 8am ? the majority of us work and will be unable to use it at all if it is not open until 8am.

We would very much like an earlier opening to be considered so that access to the park can be maximised for the benefit and enjoyment of all local residents.

Many thanks!

[Jeremy]

It will be too dark at 7am.

I don't think there is any lighting in the park.

[Lollipop]

It is for a couple of weeks about now but soon starts to get light again. I've been using it for years at this time and there is quite a crowd of people who walk their dogs and jog. It is just recently they have decided not to allow it to be open until 8. To our knowledge, there has never been any incident.

[catgirl]

I thought it had always opened at 8am?

[Lollipop]

Those have always been the opening hours, but in fact the main gate was opened earlier for deliveries to the cafe and the Court Lane gate has been open earlier (that is where most of the staff come through). As we understand it, the proposal is for them to not permit early morning deliveries (bread to be left at the main gates) and to lock court lane as they come through then come around again and open it at 8.

[taper]

I started a thread some time ago about Dulwich Park's Saturday morning opening. As you say, the main gate used to be open early, but this changed all of a sudden. I started using Belair Park (for running) instead, which you can get into early, and then into DP a bit later. But 8pm is ridiculously late. When open, there are quite a few people in there before then.

[reetpetite]

The same goes for Peckham Rye Park which officially opens at 8 but the parkmen open up a couple of gates on their way in at 7.

[womanofdulwich]

brockwell park is open at 7.30 am ..........

[Huguenot]

"Changed all of a sudden"

And you probably all think the management is to blame for the postal strike?

People don't want to get up that early. They campaign for high wages and concessions. High wages means high taxes. You don't want to pay. QED.

[LegalEagle-ish]

Most parks have 'Friends of .... Park' organisations who could organise earlier opening times at no cost to the council tax payer.

What is really irritating is the fact that 8am opening is too late for most people who work and the closing time of 4:30 pm means that most people who work can't use the park after work either. So in the winter, the people paying for the maintanance of the park, ie working council tax payers, don't get to use it during the week. The main beneficiaries are those who don't work.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I had to double-check the author of that last post, LE

[taper]

"And you probably all think the management is to blame for the postal strike?"

I blame the feckless working classes.

[minder]

Our local park (Sunray Gardens) closes at 3.30pm which is so early as a lot of people still want to use it then (including me). I complained but the parks people say it's because it's one of the smaller parks.

[catgirl]

Yes, us stay at home mums and general benefit scroungers have a great time every day racing around to use all the park facilities and laughing loudly at the thought of the hapless workers all toiling away in stuffy offices to pay for it all.

Unless you work 7 days a week, presumably you are still able to use the park on days off? And lots of people work full time but shifts or part time so are still able to enjoy the park.

But back to the point, it's obviously not feasible to have the park open when it's dark but I do think it should be open before 8am. This late opening seems particularly ridiculous in the summer when it is light by about 5am.

[HonaloochieB]

catgirl Wrote:

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> Yes, us stay at home mums and general benefit

> scroungers have a great time every day racing

> around to use all the park facilities and laughing

> loudly at the thought of the hapless workers all

> toiling away in stuffy offices to pay for it all.

I just knew it.

[LegalEagle-ish]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> I had to double-check the author of that last

> post, LE

Lol, I'm just pointing out that if I didn't work, I could take my dog out at any time, but because I do work, and don't want to leave my poor dog in the house all day without a run about, I need to use the park before or after work - however this option is now being denied to me, despite the fact that I pay to use this facility.

It pisses me off!

[Unkle_Paulie]

I went to Dulwich Park this morning at 7:15am and the gates opposite Eynella Road were locked. I ended up cycling to the main gates which were open. This is first time they've been locked in the past 10 months so not sure if the plan to open at 8am has come into effect?

[Mick Mac]

I feel the same about Tea Amore. Its shut when I am going to work and shut when I get home.

[HonaloochieB]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> I feel the same about Tea Amore. Its shut when I

> am going to work and shut when I get home.

It's as if they're going out of their way to work against you, isn't it?

You'd think they'd leave a key under the mat so you could help yourself 'as and when', wouldn't you?

Not got the ED vibe yet, have they?

[Lollipop]

We have support from Toby Eckersley, a Southwark councillor, who writes (in an email)

" Subject to resource/organisational constraints I would support in principle an earlier opening of the park than 8am, even in winter."

So - email your councillor and see what we can do!

[SimonM]

" Subject to resource/organisational constraints I would support in principle

Pretty watered-down support though no? :))

[James Barber]

Southwark has over 120 open spaces/parks/gardens. Those that are locked at night snd reopened early in the morning suffer from less vandalism etc.

We spend much more now locking and unlocking parks & gardens to protect them as we've spent so much time and effort making them nicer. Record number of Green Flags.

At this time of the year is gets light late and dark very early.

Equally, to unlock lots of gates takes some time or considerably more people. So compromise between the two.

I'll happilly check if any change of policy has taken place and report back.

[LegalEagle-ish]

JBARBER Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Southwark has over 120 open spaces/parks/gardens.

> Those that are locked at night snd reopened early

> in the morning suffer from less vandalism etc.

> We spend much more now locking and unlocking parks

> & gardens to protect them as we've spent so much

> time and effort making them nicer. Record number

> of Green Flags.

>

> At this time of the year is gets light late and

> dark very early.

> Equally, to unlock lots of gates takes some time

> or considerably more people. So compromise between

> the two.

>

> I'll happilly check if any change of policy has

> taken place and report back.

We don't need every gate opened, leaving the ones open that are used early would be enough, eg after the bread delivery. or when the park workers enter the park, as currently they lock the gate again behind them.

Maybe you should talk to the friends of Dulwich Park about organising one or two gates to be opened early enough for hard working council tax payers to have access to a facility that they pay for in their council tax, at a time that is not prejudicial to those in employment.

[TheAllSeeingEye]

When arriving at a park to find it closed I just climb the barriers. Simples.

[LegalEagle-ish]

My dog isn't that good at climbing, so I generally have to keep him on the lead and walk along the roads instead.