Camden New Journal - News: Regents Park football plan kicks off again

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Camden New Journal - by TOM FOOT
Published: 13 March 2008

Regent’s Park football plan kicks off again

Parks Agency admits search for new site

ROYAL Parks Agency bosses have admitted they are considering new areas of Regent’s Park for a five-a-side football centre after a development was blocked last year following protests.
Parks director Colin Buttery told the annual meeting of the Friends of Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill on Monday that an announcement would be made by May.
Along with soccer company Goals!, the Parks had planned to replace four acres of popular meadow – including 60 trees, rare bats and tawny owls – with nine football pitches, a bar and a car park.
But it was thrown out in December following a three-year battle with protesters at an estimated cost of £100,000 to the Royal Parks Agency.
“We are evaluating other locations in the park,” Mr Buttery told the Friends group at the Danish Centre in Outer Circle, Regent’s Park. He said the Parks was in the process of deciding whether to pursue the “doomed application”.
But Mr Buttery said there were no plans to reopen the Regent’s Park Golf and Tennis School. The Royal Parks Agency terminated the school’s lease last March after 99 years in the park.
Friends chairman Malcolm Kafetz had earlier extended the olive branch to the Parks saying: “We must begin to repair our relationship.”
He added: “The Parks are under great strain from the government to find funding.
“That is not right and we should start to support them.”
Many Friends members attending Monday’s meeting complained about the number of commercial events and speeding cyclists in the park.
Mr Buttery said: “For every one event we allow, we are turning 10 away.
“So we are not simply maximising revenue.
“On the cycles, we are looking into getting fixed penalty notices. We are deciding how much the fine would be, but it would be more than £50.”

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No contest - much rather put our tacky, commercial national obsession before a few trees, owls and bats...... a couple of diggers and a couple of gallons of weed killer should get the project nicely under way,and when Regent's Park is eventually covered with football pitches,there's always Kew Gardens...............
David Prothero