Open spaces sold off by the score

[The Land Is Ours]

From'You and Yours', BBC Radio 4
Trnsmission date: Thursday 18th October

Loss of Park Facilities
One of the glories of Britain surely are its parks and playing fields. 
Patches of green amidst the bricks and mortar -  oases of calm and 
relaxation in the frenetic hurly burly of modern life.  It's three years 
ago this month, since legislation came in designed to stop schools from cashing
in by selling off playing fields.  But - despite Government protestations 
to the contrary - the school fields continue to be sold off by the 
score....one area the size of a football pitch goes every week. And 
according to recent reports, many of our parks - once a source of civic
pride and joy - even municipal rivalry - are in a parlous condition.  And 
if the playing spaces disappear, is it any wonder that health experts 
continue to be concerned about child obesity and fitness.  Earlier this 
week the organiser of a new project to encourage the return of skipping 
ropes to playgrounds said that traditional skipping rhymes were having to 
be altered
because children were no longer sufficiently fit and agile to perform the 
actions whilst jumping up and down.    So what future is there for our open 
spaces - particularly the unsung ones
on people's back doors? For the rest of today's programme, Mark Whittaker 
has been taking an in depth look at the plight of the park and the playing 
field and asking whether they're in danger of going to wrack and ruin...

Mark Whittaker package included interviews of the following:
Vox Pops of various locals talking about parks; clips Chris Smith (Cabinet 
Minister); Douglas Hoskins (Campaigner to Save Fosters Field); Elsa Davis 
(National Playing Fields Association); Kate Hoey (ex-Labour Sports 
Minister); Peter Wilkinson (Bristol City Council, Head of Parks 
Development);  Neil Fletcher (Local Government Association); Catherine 
Ashton (Schools Minister);  Clip of local people giving their views; Judy 
Sharf (Vandean Action Committee); Alan Jenkins  (College Principal); Stuart 
Harding (Countryside Agency spokesman); Denise Wicksteed (Pitshanger Park 
play centre); Stella Man (Director, IRIS); Constantine Blake 
(Park-keeper);  Vox pops of local children playing; locals giving their views.






The Land Is Ours
... A Landrights Movement for All

The Land Is Ours campaigns peacefully for access to the land, its resources 
and the decision making processes affecting them, for everyone - 
irrespecitive of race, age, or gender.

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