THE riverside playing field opposite the Sun public house consists of two football pitches and a fair amount of surrounding grass area. The council intend very soon to turn an area of this into another car park. They say it will still leave a playing fiel

THE riverside playing field opposite the Sun public house consists of two football pitches and a fair amount of surrounding grass area.

The council intend very soon to turn an area of this into another car park. They say it will still leave a playing field. This is not good enough.

This open green playing area is the last we have in this part of Huntingdon. Because it is a large flat area with no hedges, buildings etc it makes it safer for children to play, safer for everyone. The car park can attract undesirable people at times, who can sit in the safety of their cars, and pushing the play area nearer the more secluded back area is not such a good idea.

The MS Centre and Red Cross building were thrown onto the lovely Hartford field without a second thought. One of them could have been sited on the area of grass nearby, which is near the road. Now the gym needs to be enlarged too.

Huntingdon's central area has grass areas alongside the roads. These are no good for recreation (makes the view nicer for people driving by).

Some of Spring Common remains, thanks to the late June Cruise, but it isn't the safest place for children.

Mill and Views Commons will be affected by the new road and Portholme is as it should be - a beautiful natural place (better without the sheep and cows).

The "Tech" field is to become housing, as is the old Brookside site and some of Mill Common, I believe. Most green areas on Oxmoor have been taken with the pathetic excuse that they were only used for dog fouling. No one knows when children play, and when responsible dog owners (of which there are many) exercise their dogs.

The new Coneygear Park has problems, as it is not open enough.

When the Primrose Lane allotments were fenced, the strip of grass just inside the fence near Priory Road, which is not used, would surely have been better used for resident parking for Priory Road. It seems our council do not think things through.

The river playing field area is always being used and the size of the area now means people can enjoy the space even when two football matches are being played.

I feel very strongly that, if Huntingdon residents were asked if the extra car park should be put by the river (I could never understand it being allowed to be put there in the first place), they would say no. Obviously people coming into town to work will have a different view.

I realise parking is a major issue. We may not want one but we need a multi-storey (could have been on old Murketts garage site, or old Silent Channel area, Reco seems to have a lot of unused space in town or Mill Common, if it is to be used partly for housing and a new road, anyway).

But please do not take any more of the open green space from our riverside. It's basically the best we have and many locals use and respect it.

SUE BUSHBY

The Paddock

Huntingdon