Woodhouse Moor Online

I would like to stress that I am writing this guest post in an individual capacity and my views in no way necessarily represent those of any organisation I am a member of; they are purely individual views.

The debate over the council’s proposals to build a designated barbecue area on Woodhouse Moor has been contentious to say the least. On the one side local residents have raised concerns about the damage the construction of this area will do to the Moor and on the other side you have the council and people like myself who have argued that the proposals are the best practicable way to manage barbecues on the Moor and, of course, the people who want to use the Moor to have barbecues on. It is worth saying that the debate has exposed a tension at the heart of our community between permanent residents who feel ignored and temporary residents, ie, students who live here in a fair concentration. It is my view that establishing harmony between the two groups is one of the key challenges facing this community.

Turning to the proposals in detail; it has often been pointed out to me that there are by-laws in place which prohibit barbecues on the Moor and that preventing them is simply a matter of enforcing the existing by-laws. Councillor Martin Hamilton, speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post on May 20^th, raises a valid point when he questions whether creating a situation where the police will have to be involved is the most productive use of their time. One of the concerns has to be that so much time and effort would be spent enforcing the barbecue ban that serious anti-social behaviour would slip under the radar.

Also, since there has been a serious increase in demand for barbecues on the Moor there has to be questions asked over where the people who would have had barbecues on the Moor would then go. Shifting the problem around the place is not a solution and we do have to address the fact that some people clearly do want this; so, a question I do have to put to opponents is how would you address this? Concerns about the environmental impact of disposable barbecues are points well made but it is my view that a properly designated area could and should go hand-in-hand with providing raw materials and guidance for people to actually construct a rudimentary (but still effective) eco-friendly barbecue which can be effectively done with a few bricks; a grill you can find in any kitchen and the right charcoal. Here perhaps the proposals need to show greater imagination than just whacking concrete slabs down.

The same article points out that Woodhouse Moor has been used for “everything from hare-coursing and horse racing to a stage for political rallies and public demonstrations”. So, this isn’t exactly a new controversy but a re-casting of the tensions that exist over Woodhouse Moor itself and doubtless other green spaces across the country. Bill McKinnon speaking in the piece flags up the recent residents meeting which was attended by “over 100 residents, people who consider the Moor part of their home”. However, the Moor is not, properly speaking part of anybodies home; it is a public space which we all share, it is too their credit that people feel this strongly about something that is an important part of this community but nonetheless the facts remain as above.

Mr McKinnion is right when he says that if a designated area was created there would still be a question of enforcement but quite simply I would say restriction is always easier to enforce than prohibition. He is also right to raise the issue of ensuring the underground drainage is not damaged and let my emphasise that I am not here to defend the consultation not reaching everybody or any other problems that have been had. Looping-the-loop somewhat to the point I started off by making this does point to the need for new mechanisms to establish working relations between the residents who live around the Moor and the people who visit the Moor and want to enjoy it in a responsible way.

At the moment where the different interested groups come together tends to be the Area Committee; however, it is my view that this organisation has too broad a remit to deal effectively with this very specific issue which needs to see the local residents; people who work to preserve the Moor, and yes, representatives of the student community working together along with our local elected representatives. Therefore, I think the Area Committee should devolve this issue down to a sub-committee which reports to it and addresses issues like this directly.