READERS may recall that a year ago in my capacity as the built environment consultant of the Bournemouth Civic Society I had a letter published by the Echo, strongly criticising amongst other things, the deliberate allowing by the parks department of public green open spaces to become excessively uncut during the summer.

The result was the creation of considerable areas of unkempt urban/rural jungles, which presented a shameful spectacle to visitors in a resort noted for its beautifully kept public gardens and parks. As a result of media publicity, some attempt was made to rectify this unfortunate lapse in standards.

Moreover in April and July this year, it is satisfying to observe that in respect to central green spaces and a long main thoroughfares such as Wessex Way, a more rigorous, tidier approach to grass mowing has taken place.

However, although such improvements rightly must be praised, there still exist numerous smaller, completely untouched green areas, that seen in the vicinity of better tended open spaces, degrade the overall scene.

Examples of uncontrolled landscape include considerable stretches of the West Overcliff – in the vicinity of well-kept properties such as Durley Gardens – and the prominent roundabouts between Holdenhurst Road and St Paul’s Road and between Exeter Road and Priory Road.

If the council is able to find three million pounds to remove graffiti across the whole of the BCP Council area and to improve arrangements for public waste disposal, it is surely high time that a far more comprehensive policy of balancing the parks and gardens and wilder open areas of the town centre is established.

Now that the new Parks Foundation is actively encouraging bio-diversity within eight smaller open spaces on the periphery of the conurbation, some council leaders are surely out of touch if they persist in the delusion that a fair number of central green areas originally created for fine landscaping are only fit for wilder flowers.

Such fantasies of aesthetic and biological confusion have no place in the proper safeguarding of the permanent appearance of our beautiful town.

Therefore, as a proud citizen of Bournemouth, I sincerely hope that the BCP Council will soon come of age and promote in appropriate ways, the world famous image of this town as the first garden city of the modern era.

JOHN SOANE

Bournemouth Civic Society