Protesters stay away as Sudbury garden officially opens
ORGANISERS' fears that angry protests would mar the reopening of a Sudbury park after its controversial £30,000 revamp proved unfounded at the weekend.
Siam Garden – a former magnet for drink, drugs and anti-social behaviour – was officially re-opened by Sudbury's Market Town Partnership on Saturday morning.
Both Sudbury's mayor, John Sayers, and Babergh District Council chairman Jenny Jenkins declined to attend.
The Partnership came under fierce criticism from residents of the Gaol Lane area, who felt they were not properly consulted about the re-design and re-opening of the park.
Partnership chairman Lesley Ford-Platt apologised to the crowd on Saturday that Mr Sayers and Ms Jenkins had not attended.
She said: "They are unable to be here today because of their wish to not be involved with anything which appeared to be controversial and which they would find embarrassing."
Days before, members of Sudbury Town Council's leisure and environment committee had decided to stay away from the event, and called on the partnership to keep the opening low key.
The committee was critical of the lack of consultation with residents. Its opinion was that decisions on Sudbury should come from the town council.
Mrs Ford-Platt said: "I realise it is difficult to please everyone all the time.
"There were so many different groups involved in this, residents, police, town and district councillors, but we feel we have tried to accommodate everyone with a design that can only be an asset to the town.
"It's a great shame that myself and so many others have been made to feel so nervous about today."
Designer Robin Drury, who came up with the park's layout, said funding had not come from Sudbury but from the Quality of Place scheme run by the East of England Development Agency.
"So far we have implemented the Talbot Trail, revamped the Old Market Place and now Siam Place.
"We have come under criticism but I object to the fact it has come from a town council sitting on 300,000 from the Tesco development.
"What have they done with that for the people of Sudbury? There simply does not seem to be any vision," he claimed.
The park, which sits close to a former Vanners silk weaving factory, includes panels on the history of the cloth-making industry in Sudbury.
Stephen Nixon, sales director at Vanners, said: "This is a great improvement, and for me it is wonderful to see the history of what is still such a vital industry in Sudbury being celebrated like this."
A booklet accompanying the park is available from the Tourist Office for 1.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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