Qlocal has been for a walk around Hesketh Park after receiving several emails about the general state of the place.

One email in particular was scathing calling the Park a disgrace.


"I went for a walk round Hesketh Park (I was on my buggy), with Maggie yesterday afternoon.

The only nice Gardens are at the Albert Road entrance.

The park is a disgrace, most of the gardens I have known since I was a boy were overgrown, and the pond needed a lot of water to fill it up.

I know there are volunteers who work extremely hard to try and keep the place going, nevertheless, it must be soul destroying for them to see the park like this.

People need to bring a bit of pressure on the Elected Councillors to get Hesketh Park back into way it should be.

The Sefton coffers must be full after the recent golf tournament.

Visitors come from far and wide to Southport, and Hesketh Park should be a shining attraction for them to visit and yes spend money in the park.

Come on people of Southport rattle your Councillors doors and ask the question why Hesketh Park has been allowed to deteriorate to the way it is.

A very disgruntled Southport Man who is going to contact his local Councillor".

The Sefton coffers must be full after the recent golf tournament.

How does that work then?
Do the council run the tournament, own the golf club, own the hotels or own the restaurants where most of the money would have been spent?

Bedford park had over1600 cars parked on Friday alone. I am sure sefton took it's fair share of the money at £15 per car.

Originally Posted by gerrard24

Bedford park had over1600 cars parked on Friday alone. I am sure sefton took it's fair share of the money at £15 per car.

But they wasted most of it on traffic marshals, one being on Crescent Rd / Eastbourne Rd junction stopping traffic when the lights were on red and waving you through when they were on green !!

The mind boggles with this council.

I think a very disgruntled man is going to be even more disgruntled when the Councillor tells him that there is no money Barton has spent it all tarting up balustrades and fencing around the lake.

Originally Posted by gerrard24

Bedford park had over1600 cars parked on Friday alone. I am sure sefton took it's fair share of the money at £15 per car.

But how much would that share be once the cost of staff and hiring all the extra park and ride buses is taken into account?

Originally Posted by Ric

But they wasted most of it on traffic marshals, one being on Crescent Rd / Eastbourne Rd junction stopping traffic when the lights were on red and waving you through when they were on green !!

The mind boggles with this council.

Employed by the R&A

Originally Posted by gazaprop

Employed by the R&A

Still a waste of money, if you don't know to stop at a red light and go on a green one you should be on the road, unless of course you're a white taxi in which case you can do anything you want.

Large parts apart from the beds are now wild areas - overgrown with nettles, thistles and brambles.

Originally Posted by Ric

Still a waste of money, if you don't know to stop at a red light and go on a green one you should be on the road, unless of course you're a white taxi in which case you can do anything you want.

I've no problem with your argument against the necessity of the marshall but I do take issue with the constant cheap shots on here against the Council and its Staff. It seems everything is their fault no matter how tenuous or vicarious the link may be.

Originally Posted by Alikado

Large parts apart from the beds are now wild areas - overgrown with nettles, thistles and brambles.

One person's overgrown is another's wildlife haven.

Originally Posted by gazaprop

I've no problem with your argument against the necessity of the marshall but I do take issue with the constant cheap shots on here against the Council and its Staff. It seems everything is their fault no matter how tenuous or vicarious the link may be.

Having worked in the council I know how much money is wasted and where managers do very little and staff work the system to do as little as possible but for the most money. I'm not saying all staff are like this but certainly a majority are.

Originally Posted by Ric

Having worked in the council I know how much money is wasted and where managers do very little and staff work the system to do as little as possible but for the most money. I'm not saying all staff are like this but certainly a majority are.

When did you work for the council?
Please quantify how much money you know is wasted?
Which managers and staff do very little work? (Were you one of them?)
I take it you invoked the council's whistleblowing policy regarding all of this?

Originally Posted by Ralphy Rylance

When did you work for the council?
Please quantify how much money you know is wasted?
Which managers and staff do very little work? (Were you one of them?)
I take it you invoked the council's whistleblowing policy regarding all of this?

When did you work for the council? 1989 - 2009

Please quantify how much money you know is wasted? Typical example £187 for toilet seat to be replaced at town hall.

Which managers and staff do very little work? (Were you one of them?) Won't name as would get sued and no I wasn't one of them, I left as I was sick of picking up other lazy barstewards work because they wouldn't do it.

I take it you invoked the council's whistleblowing policy regarding all of this? ????

Originally Posted by Ric

When did you work for the council? 1989 - 2009

Please quantify how much money you know is wasted? Typical example £187 for toilet seat to be replaced at town hall.

Which managers and staff do very little work? (Were you one of them?) Won't name as would get sued and no I wasn't one of them, I left as I was sick of picking up other lazy barstewards work because they wouldn't do it.

I take it you invoked the council's whistleblowing policy regarding all of this? ????

Those days, if they ever really existed except in folklore, are long gone - incidentally you run no risk of being sued if what you write is both accurate and - you are able to adduce evidence to support your assertions.
If you are unable to comply with those simple conditions then I suggest what you say is not true and another example of cheap shots at the Council and its Staff.

I will allow you some leeway on the purchasing - but that is a result of a Government (then Labour), imposed central purchasing system and preferred contractor list which allows such abuses to happen.