LOCAL residents concerned over Alton Town Council's decision to lock the gates to the Public Gardens at night are calling for a referendum. Despite concerns over vandalism and antisocial behaviour, they believe the introduction of security patrols has helped reduce the problem and they want the gardens left open. They fear that locked gates will only serve to encourage youngsters to inflict more damage by climbing onto the bonnets of cars to get over the fence. And the residents want to have their say on the matter. The decision to prohibit entry after dark was taken last month in an effort to reduce the cost of clearing up after overnight revelry in the town centre park. As from this Sunday, the gates to the Public Gardens will be padlocked from 10 pm each night and opened again at 7-30 am the following day. From November 1 the gates will be locked from 5 pm for the winter period. Owned by Alton Town Council, up to the early 1990s the gardens were locked at night but have since been left open to reduce staffing costs. However, a recent rise in antisocial behaviour, coupled with the closeness of the gardens to the pubs, has made the council rethink its policy. But it is a decision which has angered some Altonians who believe that locking the gates could cause more problems than it will solve. Westbrooke Road resident Tracy Cleveland said that last time the gates were locked youngsters were using cars to help them climb over the fence. "Locking the gates won't keep them out," she warned. Jeannie Pendreich told of how one young man got himself impaled on the railings and she even witnessed a couple manhandling a pram over the fence. According to the residents there is still noise and bad language in the evenings, but the behaviour of young park users has improved, especially since the introduction, last year, of town council-contracted security patrols. Believing that the Public Gardens should be open to the public at all times, Judyanne Bicknell said: "Everybody in the town uses the park at some time or other - a lot of people walk through the park rather than go along the High Street and they are being penalised because of the actions of a few." Mrs Bicknell also believes that to shut the park at 5 pm during the winter months is too early. "Children play in the park in the lighter evenings and a lot of people walk through the park on their way home after work," she said. Another concern the residents have is over the bowling club, whose members are often still there beyond 10 pm and will need a special concession to allow them to vacate the gardens after curfew. "It seems to be one rule for one and one rule for another," said Mrs Bicknell. Their real fear, however, is that the bowling club members are allowed to park their cars in the Public Gardens during the day when they are maintaining the green. Not only could they use the adjoining Ladyplace car park but, according to residents, more often than not they leave the Westbrooke Road gates wide open and the child barrier pulled back making it unsafe for small children. Convinced that it is "an accident waiting to happen", Kings Road resident Alan Borthwick, who walks through the gardens on a daily basis, said that only last Monday he saw a toddler running ahead of its mother, heading straight for the open gate. The Westbrooke Road protesters said they had all been witness to similar incidents and Jeannie Pendreich and Judyanne Bicknell, both mums, had been responsible for getting the original barrier put up to address that very problem. "What is the point of having it there if it is not in use - it wouldn't take much for the bowling club drivers to shut the gate and put the barrier across behind them," said Mrs Pendreich. When questioned, bowling club members confirmed they had permission from Alton Town Council for two cars to park in the gardens during the day to facilitate green maintenance. Although the address of the club was Westbrooke Road, they had experienced problems, they said, with parking in what is an access-only zone and to use the car park was too expensive. While the club built and now maintains the premises in the Public Gardens and also pays an annual lease to the town council, members feel loath to pay parking fees when they are carrying out greenwork. But they do park in the car park after 6 pm and say that, in future, when parking in the gardens they will put the barrier back. The bowling club would also prefer the gardens to be left open at night. "We have problems because while we don't play beyond 10 pm, we do have social gatherings and have to clear up after matches which means we have to come to a special arrangement with the security people," said a spokesperson, who agreed with the residents that rather than restricting access, regular surveillance was the key to curbing antisocial behaviour. "The private security patrols have made a real difference," he said. Speaking on behalf of Alton Town Council, deputy clerk Greg Burt said that a survey about Public Garden maintenance had been carried out via a questionnaire in The Altonian magazine in May 2002 and the fourth most popular suggestion which emerged was that the gardens should be locked at night. "We investigated the idea, but at the time the police were against it and it was put on the back burner. "This time, following the questionnaire, ATC feels it already has a mandate for locking the gates and, in line with a general clampdown on antisocial behaviour on council property, it has been decided to take the wider view and close the Public Gardens at night. "It is only for a 12-month trial period which will be subject to review and we will be happy to receive comments," he said.
