Pruning work is attacked

OFFICIALS have this week defended their maintenance of a Kirkley green space following complaints about the area being “butchered”.

With spring taking hold of Fen Park, Waveney District Council decided to send workers to trim back the rhododendrons next to Tom Crisp Way. However, some residents have voiced their disapproval at the work.

Jeremy Clarke said: “Who on earth gave the instruction for most of these lovely trees and shrubs to be butchered to the ground by a team with obviously no horticultural experience at all.

“The area now looks like a bomb site, with large parts of trees and shrubs blocking the nearby stream.”

Online forums have also been full of complaints regarding the maintenance. However, the council has insisted that the work was necessary to achieve the end goal for the park.

A council spokesman said the pruning of the rhododendrons, which are expected to re-sprout, was required to allow access to the islands and to progress the larger scheme of stabilisation which is required to ensure the long-term future of the ponds and island system.

“Both Waveney District Council and the Fen Park Friends are acutely aware of the sensitive nature of this programme of works and the Friends group have consistently advertised their involvement and long-term vision working jointly with the council and other bodies to encourage community involvement and input,” said the spokesman.

She added that while it was appreciated that aesthetically the site did not benefit in the short-term, the long-term goal of encouraging wildlife and proper use of the park was core to the programme, and to this end the group had successfully been awarded £150,000 towards the project.

“We are always pleased to hear of public interest in Fen Park and would encourage those concerned with its future to get involved with its continuing development and be part of the process,” she added.