Peston is wrong. Recently he defended his decision to keep the parks closed saying that there were many other open spaces where people could walk and exercise, citing Fairy Dell and Hemlington Lake as examples along with Linthorpe cemetery. Well Fairy Dell and Hemlington Lake are fine for people who live in the south of the town but for those living in the centre it would require a car journey (and somewhere to park) Given that thousands of people who live close to Albert Park have no gardens, travelling by car to the said open spaces would cause mayhem and also render these places overcrowded in the present circumstances. The fact that he is opening Stewart Park without the use of the car park is telling, and makes it almost impossible for the families of Central Middlesbrough to visit.
His other suggestion - Linthorpe Cemetery - is plain stupid. Slightly smaller than Albert Park it has narrower pathways, making it harder to police, and hardly any open space where you can let the dog off the lead and throw a frisbee for him. With all it's woodland and nooks and crannies, not to mention many paths which are too small for vehicle access, the cemetery is far harder to police than Albert park.
Interestingly, Peston was interviewed on R4 this morning and signed off his interview by saying don't listen to Andy McDonald, all he wants is more power for him and his people. Meanwhile, I have just been for a run around Albert Park and due to its closure, the runners and walkers who usually use the park are relegated to the pavement around the outside which subsequently get quite busy with people stepping out into the road every few yards to avoid close contact with others. This is a far from ideal situation exacerbated by Peston's pig headedness.
