{"id":224257,"date":"2025-06-29T15:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T15:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/224257\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T15:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T15:05:14","slug":"one-mystery-objector-puts-plan-for-play-area-to-cut-anti-social-behaviour-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/224257\/","title":{"rendered":"One mystery objector puts plan for play area to cut anti-social behaviour at risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘The more activities for kids the less grief we get’<\/p>\n

Filipa Gaspar<\/strong> and Kim Horton<\/strong> Senior Reporter<\/p>\n

15:01, 29 Jun 2025<\/p>\n

\"TheThe application has to be sent to the Environment Secretary for a decision – and may result in a public inquiry to be borne by the council(Image: Tom Wren \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n

Plans for play and sports facilities to fight anti social behaviour could be scuppered – after one person complained. Vital funding was secured to improve community facilities at Patchway Common Recreation Ground, in Bristol.<\/p>\n

Despite widespread community support, projects have been severely delayed and now at risk due to four objections to a footpath diversion – all by the same complainant. The facilities could include a hardcourt area for basketball and five-a-side football.<\/p>\n

A former parish council built the playground on the route of an official footpath – meaning that no work can take place until the route is diverted. Councillors from South Gloucestershire<\/a> agreed to make an order to move it however a single neighbour is refusing to withdraw their opposition.<\/p>\n

The application has to be sent to the Environment Secretary for a decision – and may result in a public inquiry. The identity of the one complainant remains a mystery.<\/p>\n

But locals said it was \u201cunfair\u201d adding that children need playing facilities in the area to stop anti-social behaviour.<\/p>\n

Andy Alsop, 67, chairman of Stoke Lodge and Common parish council, which secured the funding, said the resident will refuse to meet face to face with the council.<\/p>\n

\"AdrianoAdriano Cunha. Hopes to expand a play area and create a sports court on a playing field near Bristol have been severely delayed because of four objections to a footpath diversion \u2013 all by the same resident(Image: Tom Wren \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n

He said: “We have had dealing with this resident ever since we became a parish council and if it is not one thing it is another.<\/p>\n

“I would have loved to have this up and running for the summer holiday because it is for kids. You come up here on a weekend and they are playing cricket.<\/p>\n

“It is the only place we have got in north Bradley Stoke and this is what we want to do. We have got good funding.”<\/p>\n

The reasons for the local’s objections include flooding concerns and antisocial behaviour on the proposed new route alongside the pavilion.<\/p>\n

The report added: “The objector states that where the proposed path will run alongside the Pavillion building there is a lot of antisocial behaviour, with people wearing face masks. He has had to escort his daughter home from work.”<\/p>\n

\"AdrianoPlans to build a play area and sports court have suffered a major blow(Image: Tom Wren \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n

Mr Alsop explained that they inherited the public right of way from the previous parish council.<\/p>\n

And added the more activities for kids “the less grief” they get.<\/p>\n

He said: “The more activities for kids the less grief we get. Do we get vandalism? Yes we do.<\/p>\n

“You come here on a weekend and this place in running with people and when the weather<\/a> is nice they are barbequing and playing games or just sat chilling.<\/p>\n

“It is a great space. I’d love it before I pass on that it is done and it is for the local people.”<\/p>\n

Naomi Jones, 33, care home worker, whose kid attend the nursery on Patchway Common said: \u201cIt might attract more teenagers and cause trouble but they need somewhere to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople around here don\u2019t have any place like that and at least they would have somewhere to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is wasted land and it could be used for something.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was younger I used to be at Little Stock park everyday until 10 o\u2019clock but now they haven\u2019t got anything around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AdrianoAdriano Cunha(Image: Tom Wren \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n

Adriano Cunha, 39, civil engineer, said: \u201cBeing a father I would rather have children going to a play area. It is a park that is half empty.<\/p>\n

“It is a bit unfair because at the same time there are a lot of families with children who would have enjoyed the space. I just hope it doesn\u2019t bring bad attendance to the park.<\/p>\n

“I have seen kids there doing inappropriate things.”<\/p>\n

Ana Maria Mirea, 39, warehouse operator from Bradley Stoke said: \u201cThere is nothing here in this place. There is one park for kids near the GP but it is very small.”<\/p>\n

Kathy, 42, an engineer from Bradley Stoke said: \u201cThere is lots of people around here that like to complain about loads of things. They [her kids] would enjoy a basketball court – it is a shame things get cancelled.”<\/p>\n

She said the plans would be good but added there was not much information about it.<\/p>\n

\"AdrianoThe facilities could include a hardcourt area for basketball and five-a-side football.(Image: Tom Wren \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n

Locals have also taken their opinions to social media, saying that it is the planning system “needs urgent overhaul”.<\/p>\n

One added: “What doesn’t make sense is that one person’s objections can throw a spanner in the works, my other comment was deactivated so I have tried to carefully word this one.”<\/p>\n

Another said: “The planning system needs urgent overhaul if we are to get anything done in this declining country.”<\/p>\n

While another added: “Thought UK was a democracy, so how can one person dictate when so many are not in agreement.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘The more activities for kids the less grief we get’ Filipa Gaspar and Kim Horton Senior Reporter 15:01,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224258,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8818],"tags":[15721,381,748,393,4884,23340,10299,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-224257","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bristol","8":"tag-bradley-stoke","9":"tag-bristol","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-england","12":"tag-great-britain","13":"tag-patchway","14":"tag-south-gloucestershire","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114767274265170216","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224257\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}