A THURROCK councillor has called on his community, the local authority and police to come together and work to ensure anti-social behaviour in a town park is overcome.

Stanford East and Corringham Town councillor Shane Ralph met with Thurrock Nub News to celebrate the completion of work to improve pathways in the town centre park and recreation area and said planning investment will ensure the facility is much improved – but he fears it may be good money thrown after bad unless vandalism and reckless abuse to the  park is halted.

Over the past couple of years Thurrock Nub News has highlighted the poor state of the park's pathways and the concerns of the local community who pointed the finger of blame at Thurrock Council. In January last year we reported an appeal by the friends of the park for the council to do more.

However, Cllr Ralph, while acknowledging the council has not covered itself in glory in terms of management of the park, says the onus is as much on the local community as the authorities to ensure it is maintained in a safe and usable condition.

And he says he believes more community cohesion between organisations in Corringham is needed to make the most of the green space – and even named on of the town's much-loved charities of not doing enough to engage with the wider needs of the community.

Asked about how the community could do more, Cllr Ralph suggested that the park-based Karis May Darling Foundation was one organisation that could engage on a wider level with park users, perhaps even hosting a community café.

He cited the example of the neighbouring Hardie Park in Stanford-le-Hope as one where lots of groups came together for joint benefit.

Cllr Shane Ralph.

Cllr Ralph also explained why paths in the park have not been covered with Tarmac but have been left with an impacted stone and gravel surface. He says the continually moving nature of the park's topography made using a fixed surface impractical and said the council had followed the example of London parks to create sustainable pathways.

He also pledged that Thurrock Council planned to invest more in facilities at the park, including introducing and extended fitness area and improving the existing play facilities.

However, he added the caveat: "Everyone need to come together. We have had issues with anti-social behaviour, including bike and quad bike riders who have caused signific ant damage.

"We have young people abusing the facilities in the park, with vandalism and arson.

"It's not reasonable to expect the council and the police to be able to police this area 24/7, the community itself has a role to play in ensuring that it monitors what goes on here and that when people cause problems, they are brought to account.

"The park is a great facility for Corringham, it just needs everyone to work together to ensure it is looked after."

During his tour of the park Cllr Ralph highlighted a set of gates which had recently been rammed and badly damaged by quad bike riders, saying: "This will cost thousands of pounts to repair. Somebody must know who did this. How is this acceptable?"

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