QUERIES surrounding work being undertaken at Meyrick Bennet Park were raised this week by councillor Mmabatho Tembe who visited the site with Berea Mail on Monday.
Tembe noticed a large trench had been dug across a section of the Meyrick Bennett Park from the pavement outside, and remarked that the park was in a sorry state with sections of the grass having been killed and piles of what looked like blocks stacked on the ground near the trench.
Tembe said she had spoken to the Parks district seven manager, who told her that the horticulturist for the area had been informed underground cabling was to be laid in the trench. Work has been put on hold due to lockdown.
She said the state of the park was especially worrying following the outcry last year when this same section of the park had been earmarked for parking for St Augustine’s Hospital staff.
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“No initial consultation with myself as councillor and the residents regarding the utilisation of the park were held and we had to meet with stakeholders and the residents before an agreement was reached. The hospital did, however, end up pulling out, but now we have a situation where the park is in a state and I have not been informed before work started on what is on the go,” she said.
Tembe said no memorandum had been signed as to how the park would be rehabilitated after work was completed, which concerned her.
“After lockdown, the district manager will call a meeting with stakeholders to discuss rehabilitation of the park. As the councillor for the area, I am concerned that the park has been utilised without a proper agreement or consultation. I have been dealing with too many open trenches in the Glenwood area, including trenches which were dug on the pavement outside the park 18 months ago, and nothing more done with them,” she said.
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