Our park's perfect for dogs, please don't ban them

I was dismayed to see that Kingscote Park playing field was included. This park is the ideal place for people to bring their dogs for exercise.

I live facing the park. I am bedfast and my bedroom window overlooks the playing field (that was).

The park is divided by a woodland of very large trees and bushes. I’m talking about the northern half. Years ago there used to be football pitches and a cricket pitch, then a couple of years ago the Parks department planted about a thousand trees and bushes on this side. I sat and watched 120 being planted in the corner between my house and Grange Road. About the same number were planted at the other end of Nethway Avenue and twice as many on Kingscote Drive stretching from Ramsey Avenue to Grange Park.

Now the council do not cut the grass, all the centre part is all long grass and clumps of weeds. No children ever come to play. The grass is too long to kick a ball, and the cricket pitch was removed as bushes had been planted over the fielding area. The only people who use the park are the dog walkers. It’s such a joy to watch the antics as soon as the dogs are off their leads.

They race around chasing each other and retrieving a ball or stick. As for dog fouling, I’d say over 50 per cent of people carry plastic bags and pick up, all this goes on before 6am to late evening. I would much rather see the dogs getting this exercise than the devious characters that used to hang around the trees and bushes that have now grown tall enough to hide behind.

Do please keep this park dog friendly, what’s the point in owning a dog if you can’t give it the exercise it needs.

Mary Hill

Layton