AN OUTDOOR play area in Grouville will stay open after hundreds of parishioners voted to save it at a packed public meeting this week – a result described by a campaign spokesperson as a powerful moment for the parish.
Around 300 people filled Grouville Parish Hall on Thursday evening to decide the future of Sandy Park, amid fears it could close for good following reports of antisocial behaviour and the imminent end of its government lease on 24 June.
Parishioners voted overwhelmingly in favour of the parish taking over responsibility for the site, which is currently owned and maintained by the government.
Campaigner Kat de la Mare, who was involved with efforts to save the park, said she was “ecstatic” about the turnout and the vote.
“I prayed that that was what was going to happen, but you never know who’s actually going to turn up,” she said.
“It was absolutely packed. I’ve never seen so many people in the parish hall. It was like a sauna in there, and people had brought their children. There were so many generations of people there. It was really beautiful to see.
“There were literally babies in arms, up to grandparents. And it just felt really powerful to be a part of the community coming together to fight for something that we all believe in.”
Ms de la Mare added: “It was really moving… I felt really proud to be a parishioner of Grouville.”
While some nearby residents had raised concerns about noise and behaviour at the site, Ms De la Mare said closing the play area would not solve the problem.
“I did really feel for the woman who was saying that things get thrown into her garden [from the park]. That must be really horrible and scary,” she said. “But like I said last night, closing the park is not going to stop that problem.”
Instead, she urged the parish to consider long-term solutions that provide more support and safe spaces for young people.
“We need as a community to look at what else is available for our teens and our youths,” she said, “and to figure out how we can help them have other spaces available in the evenings for them to hang out safely that doesn’t create noise for the residents.”
