“I walked through a week ago and saw two people smoking cannabis there” exclaimed Cllr Forbes during a discussion on the re-siting of park benches in the gardens at Monday’s meeting of the Council’s Amenities & Open Spaces Committee. ”Priory Gardens seems to have turned into a Drugs Den” he added
This issue has polarised the Town Council to a degree that could shame a decent Brexit debate. On the one hand Cllrs Forbes and Barrett Morton expressed grave concerns about the activities of young people in Priory Gardens: playing music, football and being generally anti-social; whilst on the other Councillors displayed degrees of quizzicality regarding when and how this was taking place, as they hadn’t witnessed anything to a similar degree as that described when visiting the Gardens.
This has been a ‘live’ issue now for some time and taking significant time and energy in debate across several meetings.
The issue of re-siting the benches was so that young people would be discouraged from continuing any form of anti-social behaviour as they would become more visible. But, as the Council’s Grounds Manager, Nigel Weatherly noted – young people would still sit on a low stone wall or circle of stones around a tree – where the benches are currently sited – were they to be moved.
Can they be moved? “Easily” stated Nigel, “Just remove the twelve bolts holding them down” he added.
Cllr Barrett Morton stated that: ”The Priory Gardens were gifted to the town for the use of all and never intended to be a playground”….”Their intended use is in the name” he added. ”Who bequeathed these gardens intended them to be an oasis in the middle of the town and not a place for football, cycling, skateboarding, loud radio playing and general rowdyism”.
“I go down there every day at 4 O’lock just to check what’s happening.” stated Mayor Lisa Farrell. Whilst acknowledging that cannabis use does happen there she pointed out that: ”Unfortunately ‘weed’ as you describe it – for some strange reason is effectively legalised and the Police can’t stop that and won’t do anything about it. Their hands are tied.” She also expressed her concern that the young in the town had to go somewhere: ”Priory Gardens is not the only place where kids go…. It seems to me that wherever the kids go people don’t want them but they’ve got to go somewhere. We will end up being a Council victimising young people. Where do we want them to go?”
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Mervyn Hall noted that the Police were active and only last week made a couple of arrests, one for anti-social behaviour nearby (not in Priory Gardens) and the other where a driver was arrested in London Road for possession and intent to supply Class B drugs. ”Police are doing something.” he stated.
This ties in with the report to the recent full Town Council by the area’s Community Policing Team Deputy, Sgt Peter Foster, where he acknowledged the concerns regarding the Gardens and confirmed that his team visit regularly to check the area, but at no time was anything of note happening that warranted intervention.
Whether occasional smoking of cannabis in the Gardens justifies it being labelled a ‘drugs den’ is open to interpretation, but such a degree of use appears to be in the ‘grey’ area of the law and whilst being technically illegal isn’t ever going to be enforced.
The town’s CCTV system is due to be extended soon and a camera is planned to be sited in Priory Gardens which, it was felt, would act as a deterrent for any possible anti-social behaviour.
The members then voted whether to move the benches or not. By a majority decision the benches are to remain as they are.
Marlborough lecture – Richard Cooper, a life of adventure
