The Walks
There are two controversial happenings in West Norfolk at the moment - The Housing Stock Transfer and the Walks project.
I'll tackle the latter here, though there is likely to be much more said on the subject later... The Walks is an historic park in the centre of King's Lynn. It's main feature has always been it's avenues of trees, although there are other things there too, like the Red Mount Chapel and the Fountain.
Recently, however the Council has decided to apply for some Heritage Lottery money to regenerate it. This will involve cutting down some of the trees and planting new ones. The full details can be seen at the contractors website here.
This has obviously upset a few people, not least the Walks Action Group (WAG). They think it is a disgrace that these trees are being cut down, and have launched a website with a forum for people to voice their support for their cause. Not many people have so far.
Part of the problem is that the plans are a good thing and any sensible person can see that. The trees that are there now will die in 10 or so years, anyway, and besides that, if you compare how tatty and run down they are with the splendour of the park's past, you realise what it is all about. After all, this is a heritage project, meaning that things are to be put back to how they were before. And the rest of the project, which the protestors seem to quite like, is unlikely to be funded without the trees being sorted out at the same time.
Any support WAG claims it has is largely based on them asking the public whether the Council should be allowed to chop down these lovely trees - without mentioning the wider context.
At the moment this strikes me as being a case of the ends justifying the means.
posted by West Norfolk Blogger at 4:51 PM
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