The Parish Council will be investigating the process of bylaws to see whether they could help alleviate problems in the village parks.
At the Parish Council meeting on Monday, 9th May, Councillor Mary Maczkowiak said "The nice weather has obviously encouraged youths to be out and we've had problems in Beech Road park.
"On the Circuit people have been having lots of problems with the noise and there are a lot of very angry people who are complaining that the Council is doing nothing about the kids in the park."
In addition to the noise caused by these local youths, residents are also complaining about cans and bottles being left in the park after youths have spent the evenings hanging out there drinking alcohol.
Sergeant Andy Miller said "We have received several calls from one particular resident and I have sent officers down each night last week on mass to see what the issues are.
"We will be taking a hard line with any persons breaking the law. If there are any drugs, under age drinking or anti-social behaviour then we will deal with it as and when we find it.
"They are local youths that are causing the issues and it is mainly littering and bad language. There have been no arrests but we are taking this seriously and if anyone is breaking the law then we will take a hard line.
"In the long term we are working with the Council to set guidelines about how people should behave in the park. Our PCSO Jim Newns is working with them to look at installing signs asking people to be courteous, not drink alcohol and vacate the park by a certain time.
"If the Parish Council do decide to introduce bylaws then we will enforce them."
It was decided at the meeting that Councillor Maczkowiak and Councillor Herald would look in to bylaws and whether these should be introduced to ban drinking alcohol in the village parks and to ban youths from hanging out there after a certain time.
Comments
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“We are living in a decaying age. Young people no longer respect their parents. They are rude and impatient….they have no self control”
Inscription from 6,000 year old Egyptian tomb
“What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders. They disobey their parents. They ignore the law… riot in the street inflamed with wild notions.”
Plato 4th Century BC
“The young people of today think of nothing but themselves… as for the girls they are immodest and unladylike in speech, behaviour and dress”
Peter the Hermit AD1274
Surely in the 21st century there is room for a more positive response towards young people.
It is because of the liberal approach we have many of the problems we have now. When I was a teenager I had hobbies, went cycling but more importantly had parents who cared where I was and what I go up to. The fact is that the law needs to be used to stop this unpleasant low level nuisance. There are tennis courts there, but would it enter the heads of these yobs to play on them? - er no probably to vandalise them.
Enough is enough - Please council pass some bylaws and ban this behavior. Oh and by the way Malcolm, it was the liberal excesses of old civilisations that eventually led to their respective downfalls - the west is guilty of similar excess and lack of self control.
When I lived in Mottram St. Andrew 8 years ago, there was a beautiful park (and still is) behind the Alderley Road. Every Friday or Saturday night in the summer 2 cars would park outside our house and 8 "bored youths" "with nothing to do or nowehere to go (they could afford cars though and the booze they brought with them) would go down to the children's play area and drink for hours then drop all their bottles and cans everywhere - which I then picked up the next day. Eventually I called the police and asked them if they would like to pick up 2 drink drivers. The police swooped and both were boarderline - suffice to say the problem was solved and our quality of life improved. The staggering thing is that these youths according to the police came from some of the very best addresses in Alderley. I notice the trail of litter up to Woodbrook Road every Sunday morning....
So - I say improve the quality for the hard working tax paying majority to enjoy the park at all times without this nuisance - remember - "spare the rod and spoil the child" - that is why we have so many problems with SOME of our youth - don't get me wrong I was a spotty teenager once but I did not drop litter and I did not cause graffiti or damage to a local bowling club.
If we at least had a bobby on the beat to move these youths on that would be a start. And for all hand wringing liberals out there who want us "to understand these poor souls" can I suggest you go to the park when there is a gathering of these "bored individuals" and give them something to do - Like pick up the litter they drop.
I appreciate my views are unfashionable in our PC times but trust me - the silent majority are sick to the back teeth of the acceptance of litter and low level nuisance caused by "bored teenagers". In an affluent area there is loads to do - much of it taxpayer funded.
Thanks for mentioning the extra litter bins; it did take quite a while to arrange, but thanks to a helpful Council Officer it did get done. We've also arranged for the bins to be emptied twice a week (Mondays & Fridays) instead of just once a week.
Hi Mark,
I also pick litter... in A/Edge park... probably explains my 'bad back'.
Bye-laws... I've spoken with the C.East law dept... we (the Parish Council) can indeed pass bye-laws but the Secretary of State has to approve them... there are 'model bye-laws' which can be adopted (if they fit our needs) and they would (I am told) be accepted more quickly by the Sec. of State... when I can find these 'model bye-laws' I'll have a go at getting them 'on board'...the most mentioned need seems to be to stop the drinking of too much booze in the park, with the subsequent bad language and litter... whilst it seems to be mostly a problem with young people, there are a few 'grown-ups' also who abuse drinking in the park. We don't wish to stop people having a few glasses of wine or a cold beer with their picnic but moderation in all things? I don't expect things to happen quickly I'm afraid but that's law/politics for you!
Apart from the alcohol thing, are there any other problems that concern?
First of all may I applaud your commitment to tidying up after others. Secondly can I ask that those who can act ensure that the local police go to the park and around the village around 8.00-10.00pm when these problems occur - that way it can be nipped in the bud.
I also applaud those committed to the park as it is a little gem
Hi Steven and anyone else who reads this, I am Wesley Hutton Team leader for streetscape at Cheshire East. I understand that cleanliness and vandalism is high in this park, as it is in quite a lot of parks within Cheshire East North. Within Alderley, Wilmslow and Handforth, Cheshire East have 2 dedicated sweepers and 4 dedicated men, to empty all of the bins within public areas, sweep all roads, footways (when needed) and cemeterys. Also the 4 men have to litter pick and remove the vast amount of fly tips that we get. For us to dedicate a sweeper to that play area and a man to litter pick daily, would mean high streets are left and streets are left.
The way forward for myself and unfortunately we at Cheshire East do not have a say in this, is to involve schools more, educate the children on litter, send them out during school hours litter picking in the parks, sweeping up broken bottles. Eventually they will tire of it and next time they have a beer bottle in their hands or a piece of litter, they may walk that extra yard to place it in the litter bin and not try throwing it there. A seat for a childs swing is very expensive, to change them when they have knife marks in them will cost the council and tax payer a lot of money. We change approximatly 4 seats a week within parks, the cost of the seat alone exceeds £70, so imagine if we changed every seat that had a mark? Educate the child and educate the parent.
Secondly what's wrong with the childrens' swings? They aren't brand new but they work perfectly well; and the first of the two new play equipments is now in place.
Thirdly the bin emptying in A/E park is done (I believe) by the guys that mow the grass etc. and in my opinion their twice a week emptying is pretty well staying on top of the problem.
I'd love us to have a daily/morning sweeper-upper and a 'parkie' and a tennis courts manager etc. but there just is not any money for that these days, alas.
Enjoy Saturday's event in the park; (the sun WILL shine. Money is (I believe) already set aside to take care of the removal of the inevitable litter.
Beech Rd. isn't 'on my patch' but I am aware of the problems there... according to our PCSO most of the problems are from a very small number of individuals who just won't stop. We have used the community payback people in the A/E area... I have already asked that they come into the park but so far no show. Its the probation folk who control those lads; hopefully Wesley (see above) will get the lads into Beech Rd. play area. Speaking only for myself, I'd like to see the stocks brought back for the vandals!