Broughton residents angered by erection of fence to cut off shortcut access to park

Parc Jasmin, in Broughton, residents are unhappy with the six foot high and 70 foot long fence that has been put up blocking a clearing they used as a shortcut through to Broughton Country Park.

They have been accessing the park through a wide gap - just 20 or so meters from the Whitley Drive area of Parc Jasmin - for up to four years since the completion of the new housing development, but now must walk the extra one-and-a-half miles it takes for them to now reach the park.

Residents must also walk alongside the busy B5125 slip road leaving the A55 onto Broughton Hall Road, and concerns have already been raised for children's safety from potential collisions and the fumes emitted from cars.

An existing perimeter fence surrounds the park, but is a quarter of the size and is formed of single strand wire, as opposed to the newly erected steel fence.

The fence erected on what was a clearing

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I moved into Parc Jasmine two years ago and have regularly been enjoying access to the nearby park with my grandchildren. I have only used the park in daytime hours, and there has never been any problems. It avoids having to walk along the busy main road with fumes from the many cars that whizz along.

"I now find that the access is now barred with a large metal barrier, and would like to know why this has occurred. I feel that the existing access from Broughton Hall Road is not appropriate for this new estate, and would like to see the barrier removed."

Another concerned resident added: "We (Parc Jasmin residents) have had access into the park from the beginning, which is four years ago now.

"All of a sudden we have been denied it by a six foot fence with metal running through it to stop us getting into the park.

"We haven't asked for this, all we have asked is access into the park so we can enjoy walking our dogs and the children playing on the swings and slides in the summer.

"I have a lot of the people on the estate who are behind me on this as it was used on a daily basis to walk around safely away from the traffic and roads."

Sharron Jones, Broughton Community Council clerk, said: "The current boundary fence has repeatedly been vandalised and is not a safe access for residents.

"Whilst the community council does not wish to establish a public footway through its country park, its members are concerned about the health and safety of residents accessing the park via this access.

"We have discussed this a few times in council and unanimously agreed that we do not wish to create a permanent walk through. A proper footpath would need to be made of an adequate surface construction and be lit by street lighting which would not be in ‘keeping in character’ within a country park.

"The 'make shift' entrance is only a few yards away from a proper footpath which is surfaced and lit and surrounds the park.

"The fencing cost £2,260 and the council’s own workforce has installed it at the instruction of the community council and to reduce costs. The height is considered a suitable height for the purposes and the old fence had been constantly vandalised and broken in order to make the informal cut through."

Cllr Klaus Armstrong-Braun said: "There's been a gap in the fence for nearly 30 years, and suddenly the community council has built this fence.

"Toddlers and school children now have to walk this torturous 1.2 mile route alongside hundreds of pollution-emitting vehicles. There is also danger of accidents with no barriers between the traffic and pedestrians.

"I refute the notion that the fence had been repeatedly vandalised, no record of it has ever been logged by the council."