8 August (Part 2) - A job for Rob
Bexley council justifies its proposed sale of parks and open spaces by claiming that
the cash raised will allow the rest to be properly maintained and not be blighted by
knee high grass as
deputy council leader Alex Sawyer said parks across the Greenwich border are at the last council
meeting, but if the story about Greenwich’s parks is true it would be the pot calling the kettle black.
Sidcup’s walled garden has been left untended all year, something
first noted in
these pages three months ago. However with the alacrity of youth councillor Rob
Leitch (Conservative, Sidcup) has organised a rescue party; as if
upsetting the leadership
with his Old Farm Park speech a couple of weeks ago wasn’t enough for him.
Working directly with and for the community while his party bosses creep off in
the other direction hoping no one will notice is unlikely to do a lot for his popularity with the OBE.
(Obergruppenführer Begrudges Enterprise.)
When Rob first burst on to the scene just over a year ago fellow Sidcup councillor June Slaughter
suggested I should be prepared to be impressed and probably I was too quick off
the mark with my comments about his early enthusiasm for
a few granite benches
and pretty shop fronts in Sidcup High Street. Once councillor Leitch found his feet in the
chamber it become very apparent that June was absolutely right.
Councillor Leitch has not only quickly recruited a team of volunteer gardeners but
obtained sponsorship from local businesses with
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre additionally providing the
horticultural expertise. I understand that the rates are £350 for each of the
major flower beds for two years which seems very reasonable to me.
Further donations are always welcome of course and if Rob can be persuaded to
release his new charity bank account details I’ll let you know. In fact if he
fails to get sponsorship for all of the available plots I think I’ll sponsor one
myself. Thorny topiary formed to the letters BiB surrounded by
something poisonous sounds about right to me.
As usual, click on any of the thumbnail images to enlarge them.
Councillor Rob Leitch comments.