Ripon City Council pledges to tackle spate of anti-social behaviour at ‘crown jewel’ park

Ripon City Council held a meeting on Monday evening at the Town Hall to discuss how best to tackle a wave of anti-social behaviour at the park and children’s playground over the last few years.

Around 25 residents attended with many making their feelings known about the need to protect the much-loved public space before it declines further.

The council spends £15,000 a year maintaining Quarry Moor, which was built on the site of an old magnesian limestone quarry.

But it decided to close the children’s play area in March due to unsafe equipment that had been damaged by vandals.

During the meeting councillors also said that fences have been broken, litter was regularly strewn on the ground attracting rats and the car park was being used for drug dealing in the evening.

The park was donated to Ripon in 1945 by Alderman Thomas Fowler Spence.

Councillor Julie Ann Martin-Long said: “I believe there’s no quick fix but hopefully we can have a proactive discussion about moving forward.

“Quarry Moor took 255 million years to create and it was once the jewel in Ripon’s crowning glory and I would like to get it back to that.”

Council leader Andrew Williams proposed a successful motion to remove all play equipment and fencing from the play park and suggested its current location was no longer safe for children.

He said: “It’s in a secluded location surrounded by trees and it goes against all the safety advice you would receive for a play area.

“Across the rest of the city, play areas are not secluded and children are not at risk of people hiding in bushes.”

In an attempt to stop drug dealing, the council also agreed that from the end of British summertime in October, the car park at Quarry Moor will close at 5pm and re-open at 8am.

Councillor Williams added: “Very clearly across the country there’s a real spate of anti-social behaviour, it’s not just Ripon.

“Our intent is to make Quarry Moor safe for members of the public and for families so that parents can utilise the moor in summer holidays and take their children and it will be safe because we’ve removed the danger that exists with damaged fencing and play equipment.”

A further meeting on Quarry Moor that will be open to members of the public will take place in September.