Ealing Council stands accused of flouting the fundamental Gunning Principles in their recent regional park consultation process. But what's more shocking is the council's audacious use of a photograph, slyly suggesting overwhelming support for their regional park plan.
The Gunning Principles, a cornerstone of fair public consultation, demand that proposals be in a formative stage, ensuring no premature decisions are made. However, it appears Ealing Council may have blatantly disregarded these guidelines. Council leader Cllr Peter Manson's admission of a 'decision in principle' to close the golf course raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the entire consultation process.
The recent SavePPGC.org 3rd protest on January 17th in front of Ealing Council further highlights the community's discontent. Astonishingly, council representatives remained silent on the survey's outcome, leaving residents in the dark. Yet, just days later, the council's website featured a misleading photograph, craftily implying massive support for the regional park from a group of supposed 'residents'. Read more about this incident in the Ealing News article: “Misleading residents” appear on Ealing Council website announcing “big support for regional park”.
Adding insult to injury, the Ealing survey, in its inquiry about preferred sports and activities for the proposed park, conveniently omitted golf. This omission is bewildering, given golf's status as one of the UK's most popular and inclusive sports. This 'accidental' exclusion further fuels suspicions of the council's true intentions.
This series of events paints a disturbing picture of a council that seems to have already decided the fate of Perivale Park Golf Course, flying in the face of public opinion and proper consultation protocol. The community demands transparency and accountability.
In the spirit of optimism and constructive dialogue, we hope that these recent developments are simply a series of unfortunate coincidences and not indicative of Ealing Council's final stance. We urge the Council to consider the nearly 100-year heritage of Perivale Park Golf Course and its role in fostering a vibrant, inclusive community. Golf, a sport beloved by many, should remain accessible to all, not just a privileged few. We encourage the Council to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the interests of all community members, thereby aligning their actions with
their stated values of inclusivity and fairness. By doing so, they have the opportunity to not only preserve a significant local landmark but also to reinforce trust and unity within the community.
Visit www.SavePPGC.org to join the fight for fairness and the preservation of Perivale Park Golf Course. Our comunity space, our voice! Save Perivale Park Golf Course!
Hi Bhups. Just to let you know I thoroughly enjoyed representing the club in both the Clapham and BV competitions last year. I would like to say that I think PPGC is the 'best run' golf club that I have come across. The communication and passion of the committee and members is outstanding. I sincerely hope that you can stave off the money grabbing LB of Ealing efforts to close the course and that golf can be enjoyed by the members for many years to come.
Best wishes
Gary Nash
I totally agree, it appeared that the consultation survey was written purposely to omit golf as an option, and to lead respondents to the answers that the council wanted to hear to support their proposal. Hopefully the council will realise the strength of opposition to their plans.
Outrageous, these sort of tactics only highlight how little public support there is for closing Perivale Park.
The golf club members have offered several compromises that would not endanger the regional park delivery. It's time for a real dialogue, without the pre-determined outcomes that for an unknown reason the council has decided on. This article should encourage council members to reconsider!
Right to the point