Mansfield District Council takes interim control of Berry Hill Park maintenance

It comes three weeks after a crucial meeting between the Berry Hill Park Trustees and the Council concluded with the council making initial agreements, with the council now making the plans official.

Councillor Andrew Tristram, portfolio holder for environment and wellbeing, took a delegated decision for Mansfield District Council last week to enter into an interim service level agreement with the trustees, giving the council control of the provision of essential maintenance work.

This is an interim arrangement until the council takes a formal decision on its future involvement in Berry Hill Park.

Coun Tristram said: "We took this decision because we want to support the trustees in maintaining the park and enable this much loved facility to remain open to the public.

"We hope we will be able to reach a decision with the trustees to enable a more long-term arrangement regarding the park's future."

The cost of the maintenance will be met out of the council's existing parks budget and the work will include litter picking, bin emptying, grass cutting, leaf clearing, and repairs where necessary to meet health and safety requirements to keep the park accessible.

The future of Berry Hill Park became a contentious issue throughout November, with a petition, protest and public pressure helping to ensure that the park did not close.

It had previously been suggested that the Trustees, who announced that they could no longer afford to maintain the park which is "haemorraging money", could close the park if a solution was not reached.

However, a successful meeting on November 22 meant that the council would take this control from the trustees and "look into" ways of becoming 'Corporate Trustees' in the future.