Resident’s anger over closed Willesden park

Council slammed for delay in opening play space

An angry resident has taken a swing at the council for failing to open a park 18 months after it was redeveloped.

Sadie Goddard has been left reeling by the long-standing closure of Villiers Park in Villers Road, Willesden, despite its impressive makeover and desperate pleas from residents.

She said: “My son has been very excited about the playground in the park and I’ve been looking forward to taking him there.

“Instead we’re just left wondering, what’s going on.

“We have walked down there once a week for months and months in the hope one day it will be open.

“All last summer we were told it would be open soon by the workmen.

“I have even had another child in the space of time it’s taken to build, so now we’d really like it open.”

Cllr Ann Hunter (Lib Dem: Willesden Green), said she has been spurred into writing to Cllr James Powney, the council’s Executive Member for Environment and Neighbourhood Services, demanding to know why the park is still closed following complaints from fed-up residents.

She said: “This really is getting ridiculous now.

“The council invested a substantial amount of money into the park, but there now seems to be a delay on its actually opening to the public.

“Residents are understandably becoming angry at seeing their nice, new park and play area just out of reach behind a locked gate.

“It’s time Brent Council got its act together and fix whatever the problem is and opened the park for local resident to enjoy.”

A council spokeswoman said the delay in opening was due to a safety issues with the park’s artificial grass.

She added: “Work to replace the existing surface is due to start today (Monday) and should hopefully be completed within two weeks.”