Bring back park rangers call

TOWN Hall chiefs are to be asked to consider reinstating the ranger service in Warrington’s strategic parks.
Members of the executive board will look at the issue following a motion passed at the last meeting of the borough council calling for the service to be reinstated in Victoria Park and Black Bear Park.
Latchford councillor Steve Wright, who proposed the motion, will attend the board meeting to explain the thinking behind it.
In March, the executive approved a programme which contained proposals to refocus resources in line with a new parks strategy.
Warrington’s parks were placed in three categories, strategic parks, ecology parks and community parks.
The strategic parks – Woolston Park, Victoria with Black Bear Park, Orford Park and Bank Park – are considered to be of borough-wide significance but requiring a theme or focus and additional substantial investment.
It was agreed to temporarily withdraw the ranger service from them, pending redevelopment.
But the move angered Latchford residents and it was agreed to allow the ranger cabin to be used by Latchford Community Forum for meetings and by Police Community Support Officers to maintain a presence in the park to deter anti-social behaviour..
Now officers are proposing that funding be provided for a permanent presence in the parks to ensure horticultural standards are maintained and to focus on basic maintenance issues until such time as the economic climate improves, allowing redevelopment to proceed.