Friends of Tothill Park

All the news published on this site...

Have your say on Tothill Park re-generation?
Author - Phil

 Published on
Wed 20th Aug 2008 11:42
 The FOTP committee meet every month to discuss with Plymouth City Council the progress of the re-generation of our park, would you like to be part of that team? If so we are looking for like-minded people who can commit some spare time to help ensure our aim for Tothill Park to be returned to it's former glory is fulfilled. If this sounds like you then please contact us through the website and we'll give you details of our next meeting.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Would you like to make a real difference to Tothill Park?
Author - Phil

 Published on
Wed 20th Aug 2008 11:38
 The FOTP committee would like to invite all park users and members of the community to help us during our next programmed "working morning". We will be meeting outside of the bowling pavilion adjacent to the FOTP noticeboard at 10:00 on Saturday 30th August. We aim to tidy up the pathways around the park and remove weeds from them. The "working mornings" take no longer than 2 hours but anytime you can spare will be greatly appreciated and also it will give you a chance to discuss the park improvements and the next phase of Tothill Park re-generation.



We hope to see you there !!!!!

Teenage Zone Near Completion
Author - Phil

 Published on
Mon 04th Aug 2008 13:02
 The FOTP Committee are delighted to announce the completion of Phase One of the re-furbishment of Tothill Park with the installation of the "Teenage Fitness Zone". The zone now consists of the Multi Use Sports Arena (MUGA) adjacent to the community centre, the re-furbishment of the basketball court and the installation of various fitness apparatus. The FOTP committee decided from the onset to allocate a large proportion of the funding awarded to us to provide teenagers and young adults with facilities which cater for them. As a result of many months of talking to this age group and feedback from various youth organisations this equipment will go some way to demonstrate our commitment to them.

Although aimed mainly at youths these facilities are there to be enjoyed by all age groups, to recognise this milestone in Tothill Park's re-furbishment programme it will be officially opened by the Council on Wednesday 6 Augt 08, please come along and show your support.

Multi Use Games Arena (MUGA) completed.
Author - Phil

 Published on
Sun 30th Mar 2008 11:08
 The FOTP Committee and Plymouth City Council (PCC) are delighted to announce the completion of the re-developed 5-a-side court which had fallen into disrepair over the years. This facility has been provided using the latest technology and enables football, basketball and urban hockey to be played in a safe environment, whilst being over 80% quieter than the previous court and more vandal proof.



The Chairman of FOTP said " I'm delighted this important asset for our local community has been re-developed, it had fallen into disrepair over the years and was a danger to anyone who used it. Through numerous public consultations and feedback from young children and youths it was highlighted as a high priority for our committee to address. With the help of PCC we have delivered on one of our promises and have provided a state-of-the-art facility which has already proved very popular with a wide age group".



The MUGA is a significant piece of the Phase One re-development of Tothill Park which, when completed this year will provide a new basketball court, an outdoor fitness suite, a youth shelter and play facilities for older children.

Eastern Corridor
Author - Pat

 Published on
Sat 01st Mar 2008 13:18
 A question that is often asked by residents who are confused by the need for the, ‘Northern and Southern Routes’, is why do PCC need to make such big changes to the transport system to the east of Laira Bridge.

There seems to be some confusion over the size of the developments planned for Sherford and Plymstock Quarry.

There are 5,500 dwellings plus shops, schools and other supporting services planned for Sherford, which will make it a town more than double the size of Totnes, which had a population of just over 8,000 recorded at the 2001 census.

Plymstock Quarry development is planned to have 1,600 dwellings plus all the support services required.

With a combined total of over 7,000 dwellings, and an increase in population of over 20,000 on the east side of the River Plym, it means a huge increase in traffic coming into Plymouth.

The PCC website has the details of the planning applications for both developments and these can be found at:-

www.plymouth.gov.uk

on left of page select; Environment and Planning

on left select; Planning

on right select; Planning Online



and in the boxes that appear, fill in, Sherford or 06/02036/OUT

Plymstock Quarry or 07/01094/OUT

and all the details of the developments are available




East End Transport Community Liaison Group
Author - Pat

 Published on
Sun 24th Feb 2008 09:34
 Held Monday 28th January 2008 Minutes made available 20/02/08 The group was brought up to date with happenings since the last meeting, including confirmation that the application for the Sherford Development would go to Plymouth’s Planning Committee at the end of February. Because Sherford falls within two Planning Authorities, the development also needs planning permission from South Hams.br />


PCC have already met with the local bus operators to get their views and input, as to how the transport scheme would work. There was no mention of any one else other than bus operators being asked for their views or even to attend.



When PCC were asked how questions and issues raised by members of the public were processed, the system was explained to the group. All questions and issues raised by the group or members of the public, were recorded in the Issues Register, a report is prepared from this register, and put before the Scrutiny Committee of the Council. The Issues Register is updated from the answers and decisions given by the Scrutiny Committee and the Register will then be made available.



The question of a Light Rail Transit as part of the Transport Strategy was raised, but was dismissed as being too expensive. The whole Transport Strategy is based solely on channelling the increased road traffic from the new developments to Plymouth City Centre coming either from Deep Lane, down the A38 and along Embankment Road, or across Laira Bridge to join either the Southern or Northern Route onto Exeter Street.



If the environmental study that is currently being carried out on the Southern Route, makes the Northern Route the preferred option, then traffic would be routed onto a new build road, that would use the existing railway line along Tothill Park to Friary Park.



When it was explained that between 5000/6000 tons per month are moved on the rail line from Laira and Cattedown Wharves, the group was told that the intention is to retain the rail link to Cattedown Port FoTP will continue to keep residents informed as soon as information becomes available, as FoTP are the local organisation who are prepared to put resident’s views to the PCC and to make public the answers.

No to the Northern Bypass!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Thu 07th Feb 2008 11:54
 Over the last few weeks, The Friends of Tothill Park have become aware of a groundswell of opinion rising up within the local St Judes community against the building of the new "Northern Bypass" to carry traffic from the forthcoming Sherford development into Plymouth. Any such road would clearly have a devastating effect not only on Tothill Park but also on the entire St Judes area. A major road carrying the traffic that is currently routed along Embankment Road through the middle of a quiet residential area and community parkland would cause massive noise and pollution to park users and residents alike.



This week workers have been seen surveying parts of the proposed route and this has prompted the FOTP into voting on our official position. The committee vote was unanimous against any such proposals for the Northern Bypass. We are now firm in our stance against the Northern Bypass and hope to act as a focal point for all those who hold similar views. In our first move we will now attempt to force the council into holding a local public meeting where residents and interested parties can put questions to Plymouth City Council transport department and the transport planners and show them that any plans to impose this road on the community will be met with firm resistance. Moves are already in place to make this happen and as soon as we have a date for the meeting we will publish it here.



In addition we hope to raise a petition against the route that we can present to the council at some future point. In order for this to be successful we need as many people to sign it as possible and would ask you to stand with us and support us in our efforts against the road by signing the petition. You can find the petition by clicking here . Clearly there will be much to report on progress over the coming months and we are certain this will be a long and drawn out process with the council hoping that time will dim the perceived effects of the road. If we are to be successful in our fight we need your support. We would ask that you join our mailing list so that we can inform you directly of any developments and make you aware of the nature and timing of any protests that may occur in the future. To do that please click here

Plymouth City Council website link for the proposed Sherford Community road infrastructure.
Author - Phil

 Published on
Thu 10th Jan 2008 04:35
 Ladies & gents,

We have had many concerned local residents enquiring about the the proposed road lay outs and how they will affect us, please find an image below that shows the possible Northern Bypass Route. Please also be aware that PCC is currently looking at several options and no decision has been made but we will keep you informed of the progress in our news articles.



You can also click [here] to visit the plans page where you can see all the originally proposed routes but please be aware that most of the other options have already been discarded leaving scenario 7 (as the picture above) and the more expensive (includes a new bridge over the river but essentially the same) scenario 8. There is another scenario not shown in these plans which is the Southern Bypass Route but this is currently least favoured.


How will the Sherford Development affect St Judes?
Author - Rob

 Published on
Mon 03rd Dec 2007 10:32
 The Friends of Tothill Park have had a representative from the committee attending the last two meetings of the ‘East End Transport Community Liaison Group’.

The Group is examining the effects that the increased flow of traffic from the new development at Sherford and Plymstock Quarry over Laira Bridge, and also along Embankment Road, coming to and from the proposed ‘Park and Ride’ facility at Deep Lane, will have on the surrounding communities.

There are two schemes being considered to bring road traffic into and out of Plymouth;

One is the ‘Southern Route’, which brings traffic to and from Laira Bridge along Finnegan Road, Macadam Road, Shapters Road and Gdynia Way to Cattedown roundabout, feeding onto Exeter Street.

The second option, the ‘Northern Route’, is for traffic to be fed onto a new road, which will be built along the existing railway line alongside Tothill Park, and join onto Exeter Street at Friary Park (by Wickes DIY store).

The impact on the Community Centre and Knighton Road, if a new road was built on the railway line, would be devastating and would also have a huge impact on the new Brentor Road development.

The proposed plans, drawings and maps are available for residents to view on the City Council website, and any comments that residents wish to be raised at the Groups next meeting, should be addressed to the Tothill Park website.

If you have comments or issues, either for or against the planning proposals, now is the time to raise them.


24 trees planted for National Tree Week
Author - Rob

 Published on
Tue 27th Nov 2007 08:24
 The FoTP were awarded £500 by the Tree Council towards the cost of our project to plant 24 trees, (12 lime and 12 beech), during National Tree Week.

On Friday, 23rd November, local school children assisted in planting twelve of those trees, forming a copse that will hopefully help to improve the visual attraction around the recycling facility.

On Saturday, 24th November, local residents and FoTP got together to plant the remaining twelve trees in an area in the Tothill enclosure, creating an improved habitat for local wildlife.

Any other suggestions for future projects that can involve local children and residents will be gratefully received by the FoTP committee.

Help us plant a tree in the park for National Tree Week
Author - Rob

 Published on
Fri 09th Nov 2007 10:54
 In order to mark National Tree Week, the Friends of Tothill Park are to plant 24 trees in the park. The FoTP has been awarded £500 by the Tree Council towards the cost of our project to plant 12 lime and 12 beech trees during this period and the actual planting process will be divided between local residents and pupils of local schools.

We are hoping that these new trees will go some way towards enhancing the current park environment and will provide an increasingingly popular habitat for insects, birds and wildlife. Planting is planned to take place on the morning of Saturday the 2nd of December and we will announce the full details on this site and our notice board in the park a little closer to the time.

Our first major project - Work to commence on the new multi-use games area
Author - Rob

 Published on
Fri 19th Oct 2007 08:40
 Regular park users will have noticed that the fencing around the old 5-a-side court was removed a few weeks ago and this was done because it had become dangerous but, more importantly, also because construction of the new multi use games area (MUGA) will commence during the last week of October or the early part of November to replace the worn out 5-a-side court. Incorporating a football pitch and basketball court, we are hoping that the new facility will give wider appeal to park users and provide them with a modern facility more in keeping with the 21st century.

The MUGA is our first major project to bear fruit and we are hoping that, once people see that we are able to deliver quality projects and answer the needs of our own community, more will want to be involved with us and help us to deliver further benefits and improvements. Getting involved couldn’t be easier, simply turn up at one of our next working mornings to find out what our current plans are. Dates for working mornings can be found in our event calendar on the left side of the site.

Friends of Tothill Park receive £135,000 grant from Play England to revamp the children’s play area
Author - Rob

 Published on
Thu 18th Oct 2007 15:21
 We are absolutely delighted to announce that, after much hard work in the background, the Friends of Tothill Park have been allocated £135,000 by Play England to restyle and rework the children’s play area. Included in the plans is replacement of all the current play equipment as well as adding new items. Enlarging the entire area by fencing it out to the current boundary paths and the bowling green will also allow for the placement of tables and benches creating a safe play and dog free environment within the fence line meaning that families can enjoy the park even more.

The process of obtaining tenders to replace the existing area will begin soon and we will report on positive outcomes as soon as we are able. This funding would not have been available to us without the hard work and tireless effort of the head of Plymouth Parks Services (Nick Jones) and his team and we are entirely grateful for their ongoing commitment and support to our cause.

An appeal for your help - how YOU can do something to directly make a difference!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Tue 25th Sep 2007 09:04
 Mindful of the fact that there are some park users who want to help in making the park a better place, but always seem to miss out on what's going on in the park and, in what has now become a regular reminder feature, the FOTP Committee would like to invite all local residents and park users to our next "working morning" on Saturday 29th of September 2007 meeting outside of the Bowling Pavilion at 10;00. Following on from the successful format of previous working mornings we will continue the process of edging the paths and picking up litter. The working morning usually lasts between one or two hours and we would recommend wearing old clothes. If you see these news items on the site and think to yourself that one day you'll lend a hand, why not make it this weekend that you do something about it?

As always our aim is to encourage like minded people to meet and share views and experiences of the park whilst helping the long process of returning Tothill Park to its pre-war glory. We genuinely look forward to seeing you there and would be happy if any new friends would make themselves known to a member of the committee when they arrive. It goes without saying that you will all be made most welcome!

Tothill Park blighted by anti-social behaviour.
Author - Phil

 Published on
Sat 22nd Sep 2007 10:46
 Despite efforts of the FOTP Committee, PCC, the Police, volunteer groups and park users to improve Tothill Park a mindless minority still try and spoil the park for the majority. On the weekend of 21st - 23rd September 2007 a group of 15 -20 youths gathered in the park leaving a trail of discarded beer cans, smashed bottles and litter.

The morning after demonstrated their contempt and lack of respect for public spaces, the good people of St Jude's, park users and PCC who will have to clear the rubbish up after them. Apart from this being an eyesore it is also extremely dangerous for children and dogs who could so easily be hurt from the shards of glass resulting in areas of the park having to be avoided.

The Police are determined to crack down on any anti-social behaviour, especially under-age drinking and ask local residents and park users to call 999 to report these offences. You do not have to give your personal details but must ask for a crime log number which will ensure these incidents are recorded to establish if a trend has occurred allowing the Police to best allocate resources.

For the Attention of local Young People
Author - Pat

 Published on
Sat 08th Sep 2007 15:21
 Young Peoples Participation



In my role as Grants Officer for FoTP I visit all kinds of websites in my search for funding.

One of the biggest drawbacks I have is that the lead role in any bid must be taken by the Council, as they are the registered owners of Tothill Park.

There is however one avenue of funding which does not rely on the council, and that is where the bid for funding must come from young people.

There is a website, ‘Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds’ (just use Google), which specifically targets young people and the substantial funds available are to be used and controlled by young people themselves.

If there are any young people between 11 and 18 who are interested in investigating the opportunity to apply for this funding, please contact FoTP committee and we will do all we can to help.


Proposed changes to local transport system
Author - Pat

 Published on
Fri 07th Sep 2007 08:41
 East End Transport Community Liaison Group

Eastern Corridor

I attended a meeting of the Group as the representative of ‘Friends of Tothill Park’ on Tuesday 4th September 2007.

The Group is primarily interested on the impact that the development of Sherford and Plymstock Quarry will have on the Plymouth side of Laira Bridge regarding the predicted increase in the level of traffic through the East End area.

The Sherford proposal is for 5,500 houses, shops, community facilities, schools, medical facilities and the infrastructure to support the development. The Plymstock Quarry development is for 1,750 houses and both projects are scheduled for completion by 2016. It is predicted that these developments will generate an increase of 1500 trips across Laira Bridge in the am peak, from a base of 4000.

A ‘Park and Ride’ facility is also proposed for Deep Lane, and the developers have estimated that 46% of the trips in the am peak will use sustainable modes of transport and not the private car.

In order to mitigate the impact of this traffic, Plymouth City Council is exploring new plans for improvements to Embankment Road, Gydnia Way and a new southern route following Shapters Road, Macadam Road and Finnegan Road for traffic travelling to and from the East of the city.

This option in particular seems to provide many advantages. It allows the traffic to flow freely and directly through the East End with minimum impact on the local community. Some of the solutions suggested within this option include; taking ‘through’ traffic off Embankment Road to improve community links; guiding Marsh Mills and Plympton bound traffic onto Gydnia Way and Plymstock and Sherford bound traffic onto an upgraded southern route to Laira Bridge; junction and signalling improvements to manage the traffic more effectively and priority for buses to maintain their frequency and reliability.

However, further options need to be tested as more than the southern route option/solution needs to be put forward. A further route option suggested is the northern route, which involves using the existing railway line along Tothill sidings to Friary Park. The railway line would be converted to a relief road which would join Exeter Street at the Wicks DIY store.

The next meeting of the Group is scheduled for Monday 12th November 2007 but the Transport Strategy team intends to hold workshops for interested parties over the next few weeks.

Going forward after the public meeting - a step change in progress
Author - Rob

 Published on
Sun 26th Aug 2007 09:47
 Following on from Wednesday’s public meeting, one plan was selected for the forthcoming five-a-side installation to replace the existing one. This is the first of the large projects to be undertaken and will represent a significant step change in the pace of change we are trying to achieve. Although a long time coming, we are sure that the wait will be worthwhile and the refurbishment and upgrading of the five-a-side court will be a clear signal to those who had doubts about whether anything would happen at all! With luck, construction will begin before the end of the year but, naturally, we will pass on any news of that event here.

In addition to presenting the updated plans and choosing a suitable supplier, Wednesday’s meeting saw the introduction to the Fotp of Phillip Heseltine from the development department at Plymouth City Council. Philip is partly responsible for the development of the traffic infrastructure within Plymouth and was keen to put across current ideas for road development that will affect the Tothill Park and St Judes area. He suggested that many ideas were being considered including using the existing railway track bed that runs behind the park as a means to bring in a road along its length to relieve traffic from the proposed developments at Sherford and Plymstock Quarry. His purpose in being at the meeting was not only to inform us of current ideas, but also make us aware of the East End Liaison Group. The purpose of this group is to discuss ideas with the council that may impact on this area and try and provide comments and suggestions on these proposed ideas that may guide the council to a “best fit” for all concerned. Since there is currently no representation from this area, Philip requested volunteers to sit in on the group. Two were found and the St Judes and Tothill area now have representation.

Also present at the meeting were our local police neighbourhood beat team and they updated the meeting on current PACT progress. We were pleased to hear that crime in the park generally has been at a low level particularly with the summer holidays almost over but they were keen to ask that the public still report anything they see to them. The areas local beat manager, PC Kevin Richards, also introduced Sarah Hopkins from the Community Safety Partnership to the meeting. It’s Sarah’s job to see that all agencies work with the Fotp and give necessary feedback. We were very pleased for her input and are looking forward to working with her and her group.

And finally, we are more than delighted to welcome onto the committee Jacqui who has taken the unenviable role of committee sercretary. Somewhat thrown in at the deep end, Jacqui has already performed her first committee role by taking the minutes for this meeting!

In all then, the meeting has now allowed us to move forward more quickly than before and we expect changes to start happening soon.

Quarterly public meeting tonight
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 22nd Aug 2007 07:21
 Tonight sees the quarterly public meeting and this gives you the chance to find out what is going to happen in the park next and when it is going to happen and what is going to happen in the park in the near future. It also gives you the opportunity to give your opinion on what you think should change in the park.

If you're interested in the forthcoming changes, the meeting will now be held in the bowling pavilion rather than in the community centre as recently advertised and it starts at 7:00pm.

Saying farewell to our treasurer
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 22nd Aug 2007 07:05
 It is with sadness that we are parting company with Andrew, our treasurer.

Andrew has been with the Fotp almost since the start and we would like to thank him for his past efforts. He will be sorely missed but we wish him and his family well in their move to a new house elsewhere in Plymouth.

All this does mean though that we now have a vacancy for a new treasurer and, if you would like to apply for the post, click on the vacancies link in the main menu.

Continuing Park Clean up
Author - Pat

 Published on
Thu 16th Aug 2007 09:54
 On Thursday 23 August, a group of staff from Marjon, organised by Plymouth Cares, are taking on the challenge of tidying the end of the park nearest the gated entrance.

During the day they hope to edge the paths and flowerbeds, clear suckers from around the trees, clear any litter and to paint all the benches and litter bins around the park.

The Friends of Tothill Park wish to thank the staff from Marjon, and to encourage other groups, both resident and outside volunteers, to make the park a pleasure to visit.

Three new committee members in as many weeks.
Author - Rob

 Published on
Mon 13th Aug 2007 22:00
 We are lucky enough to have been able to appoint a number of volunteers to committee positions in the last three weeks and our committee has nearly all the members we now need. We are extremely fortunate to have been able to appoint a Police Liaison Officer, A Wildlife Officer and a Liaison Officer with each coming into the fold at weekly intervals.

Colin is filling the role of Police Liaison Officer and this gives us a great opportunity to open continual two way communication with the police so that we may both benefit from up to date information and will be a role that is certain to continue long into the future with spin offs for the entire community rather than just park users. Already involved in similar work, Colin is the ideal person for the job.

Derek takes the role of Wildlife Officer and this is set to be a most exciting appointment. In the coming weeks, Derek’s substantial knowledge will be put to good use in creating and maintaining a wildlife diary on this site and we also hope to be able to run "Wildlife Sessions" in the park from time to time. You can add yourself to our update list if you would like to know when these sessions will be run.

Rob C is taking over the job of Liaison Officer from Deborah and is set to keep the Fotp in the public eye by raising our profile in the local newspapers and on local radio. He is also set to work on raising public awareness of what we are trying to achieve so that it makes our path and progress and little smoother that perhaps it might otherwise be. In a quiet sort of way, Rob is likely to make quite an impact for us.

What all this means is that now we are only looking for one more volunteer to fill the remaining committee position of Committee Secretary and, if you think you might be able to take that on and join our group, you can find details on the vacancies page. In the meantime we hope that you will join us in making our new committee members feel welcome and be pleased that we have managed to find dedicated people who are as fervent about restoring the park as we are.

A warm Saturday morning in the park
Author - Rob

 Published on
Sat 11th Aug 2007 15:20
 A beautiful Saturday morning in warm sunshine and the latest working morning was underway at 10;00am. A surprising number of people turned up considering it's now the height of the holiday season and a slightly different arrangement this time around, as the volunteers were spilt into groups to try and cover different things. Appearing to have worked well, we were able to work on clearing pathways and edges around the library, conduct a litter pickup through the whole park, mulch two of the flowerbeds, strim and clear out behind the five-a-side court and clear the steps and pathway around the court of earth, litter, overgrowth and debris.

Just two hours of solid work and it was all done making this one of the most successful working mornings ever so we would like to extend our thanks to those people who turned up and hope that park users enjoy the benefits of the work done.

Blooming Plymouth
Author - Pat

 Published on
Fri 10th Aug 2007 13:17
 The month of July saw the city involved in the judging process for the ‘South West in Bloom’ and ‘Britain in Bloom’ annual competitions.

The judges were invited to Saltram House to view a pictorial display of the parks and open spaces throughout the city, and to meet and discuss with representatives the various projects that have been going on over the last twelve months.



Tothill Park’s display consisted of the before and after photographs of the tree planting, the clean up around the library, the new rose bed, the monthly residents litter pick, the school childrens bird and bat box project and the notice board and poster design competitions.



The judges were then taken on a tour of the city to see the efforts that have been made to try and ensure that Plymouth maintains its place as one of the, if not the, top cities in Britain.



Tothill Park was also entered in ‘Plymouth in Bloom’, which is part of the city’s neighbourhood awards competition.

The committee put on a small display in the Community Centre for the judges who visited us on Tuesday 24th July. They were shown our progress up to date and also shown the plans that are visualised for the improvement of all areas of the park.



The result of all these competitions will be announced in late August/ early September


Sneak preview on the radio of what's coming up in the next public meeting
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 08th Aug 2007 14:45
 Pat, our Grants Officer, has been invited onto Radio Devons' Gordon Sparks show to talk about the work the Friends of Tothill Park do and how we go about it. Pat will be talking at 08;15 this Friday the 10th of August and you can listen by tuning in to 95.7FM, 855 medium wave or DAB digital radio. Here is what Pat will be talking about;



The new 'teenage zone'

The replacement 5-a-side court

Residents involvement ( flower beds, tree planting, monthly litter pick)

Childrens involvement (bird and bat boxes, poster competition, design of new notice board - since vandalised)

PACT - Partners and Communities Together



Naturally there will be more than this but that just gives you the flavour. For regular listeners to Gordon Sparks, Pat might even start his piece with "Ere, Sparksy" and finish it with "Thank you driver" - who knows!

Make a little time for your park this weekend
Author - Rob

 Published on
Mon 06th Aug 2007 08:19
 Mindful of the fact that there are some park users who want to help in making the park a better place, but always seem to miss out on what's going on in the park and, in what has now become a regular reminder feature, the FOTP Committee would like to invite all local residents and park users to our next "working morning" on Saturday 11th of August 2007 meeting outside of the Bowling Pavilion at 10;00. Following on from the successful format of previous working mornings we will continue the process of weeding the flower beds and, on this occasion, we will tackle the flower beds at the top of the park. Naturally we will also conduct a litter pick-up. The working morning usually lasts between one or two hours and we would recommend wearing old clothes.



As always our aim is to encourage like minded people to meet and share views and experiences of the park whilst helping the long process of returning Tothill Park to its pre-war glory. We genuinely look forward to seeing you there and would be happy if any new friends would make themselves known to a member of the committee when they arrive. It goes without saying that you will all be made most welcome!

The notice board vandalised again
Author - Rob

 Published on
Sat 04th Aug 2007 16:04
 Sadly we have to report that, yet again, the Fotp noticeboard has been vandalised just days after being re-installed and we have had to remove it once more. This is particularly poor in view of all the effort local school children have put in to designing the new borders and all the effort gone into producing the board. The incident has been reported to the police.


The remains of the new notice board

We have decided though that we will not be deterred by this and that the board will be replaced once again and we will keep on replacing the board regardless since it is a vital means of communication with park users. We hope to have the board back in place as soon as possible and we will look at a means of keeping it secure.


Working morning another success!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Mon 30th Jul 2007 16:08
 FOTP committee members, PCC park wardens, local residents and park users joined forces on Saturday 28th July 2007 to pick up litter and weed some of the flowerbeds. Over 14 people gave up a couple of hours to remove all the weeds and greatly improve the appearance of the area. The volunteers were surprised just how much work could be done in a few hours and although it was hard work, everyone was pleased with the final result.


One of the flowerbeds after weeding


Rob (FOTP Webmaster) said "These working mornings are very important to maintain the involvement of the local community, we decided that small projects on a regular basis would be the best way of achieving this. We are also aiming to ensure the park looks it's best and getting everyone together like this is a great way of achieving that.

On completion of the weeding the volunteers carried out a litter pick-up throughout the park to ensure unwanted rubbish was removed, collecting over 6 refuse sacks which had been discarded by inconsiderate park users.

If you would like more information about future "working mornings" then please click on the diary tab.


Sutton Play Rangers organise childrens summer play days
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 25th Jul 2007 22:00
 Sutton Play Rangers have organised three summer play day events during the school holidays that will take place in the park. The first is arranged for the 30th of July, then the 6th of August with the final event taking place on the 20th of August. All play days are from 11am - 3pm and will be taking place on the football field next to the changing rooms at the far end of Lanhydrock Road. The good news is that these days are free to all children and their families and there will be a range of play activities including sports, games and arts and crafts.

Activities are aimed at families with children aged between 3 and 12 years of age. Some activities may involve paint and glue so please wear appropriate clothing. All children under the age of 8 years must be accompanied by an adult. You can contact Sutton Play Rangers on 01752 263880

Tree warden appointed for Tothill Park and Blagdon's Meadow
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 25th Jul 2007 09:35
 The Plymouth Tree Partnership have appointed a tree warden to keep an eye on the trees in both Tothill Park and Blagdon's Meadow. Rob, the Fotp webmaster, has taken on this additional voluntary role in order to both protect the trees and increase their numbers throughout the area. Also responsible for the health of the existing trees and for reporting anything to the council (the tree owners) that could cause problems for the trees, or for park users as a result of damage or disease, the role requires an ongoing committment.

It also encompasses answering the publics questions on the trees growing in the park and engaging with local people in an effort to educate and inform. If you have any questions, or see something you think Rob should know about, please use the contact us page.

Working morning reminder for this weekend and our notice board makes a welcome return
Author - Rob

 Published on
Tue 24th Jul 2007 13:35
 On behalf of the FOTP Committee I would like to invite all local residents and park users to our next "working morning" on Saturday 28th of July 2007 meeting outside of the Bowling Pavilion at 10;00. This time we will conduct a quick litter pick-up around the park and weed one or two of the flower beds.



As always our aim is to encourage like minded people to meet and share views and experiences of the park whilst helping the long process of re-instating Tothill Park to it's pre-war glory. W genuinely look forward to seeing you there and you will be made most welcome!



Also in this news update; The notice board is finally re-instated to its original position on the wall of the bowling pavilion. This time though you will notice the new border designed by local school children. As always we will be updating the board with fresh news as it happens in the park so check out the board next time you're passing.

Notice board prizes presented at morning assembly for Prince Rock children.
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 18th Jul 2007 14:11
 An early morning assembly at Prince Rock Primary school in Embankment Road this Tuesday and the FOTP committee with Councillor Jean Nelder were delighted to be able to present prizes to 9 of the children for their winning designs for our noticeboards. The children were asked to design a border to go around the outside of our noticeboards. Each winning entry was rewarded with a book token and we thought that the standard of all the submitted designs was very high.



We would like to thank the children and staff of the school for making us feel most welcome and everyone will be able to see the new notice boards shortly when we place them into their permanent positions in the park.




The notice boards. Adults (rear seated) - Rob - Fotp Webmaster, (left standing) Councillor Jean Nelder, (left sitting) Pat - Fotp Grants Officer and (right sitting) Roger - Fotp Vice Chairman

Summer newsletter for 2007 and official web site launch!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Fri 13th Jul 2007 15:19
 We have now started the process of delivering the Summer 2007 newsletter door to door so, if you haven't yet received yours already, keep an eye out for it. By the time we've finished, we will have delivered in excess of 1,000 newsletters to properties nearest the park in both St Judes and Prince Rock. If you don't receive yours within the next few days, you can always download the latest one by going [here].



As is sometimes the case, unfortunately there is a mistake in this latest issue. As mistakes go this one is fairly big since the date of the next public meeting is given as Saturday the 7th of August when, in fact, the meeting is actually on Wednesday the 22nd of August! Sorry to report that nearly 200 newsletters were already delivered before the mistake was pointed out (our thanks to those who reported it!). If you need to find the dates for anything to do with the FOTP, you'll always find the correct ones' on the event calendar or in the diary page.



It is also with great pleasure that we can now say that the website is also ready for its' official launch and that will happen this Saturday. The site is now 98% complete with only a very few items remaining to finish. The recent intake of Blagdon's Meadow into the FOTP is one of those things that has yet to be completed but it is a complex area with much to offer that needs careful thought and resources put into it before we will be able to properly write a page for it although moves are already underway to do this. There is also work to be done in just keeping the site up to date and, since the web site is set to become our prime method of communicating with the public, you can likely appreciate that constant changes are being made. In any case though, now that the site is classed as complete, if you need to find out about something to do with the park, this site is the place where you will get the latest information.



We would recommend that you spend a few minutes just looking through the site so you get a flavour of what is here. If you would like to be told when anything changes, you can add yourself to our update list by clicking [here].

Announcing our new patron
Author - Rob

 Published on
Fri 06th Jul 2007 09:27
 We are absolutely delighted to announce that we now have a patron for the Fotp. Best known for his many wins and outright winner of the Lonsdale belt, ex professional boxer Scott Dann has volunteered to be our patron and now fight our cause.



Scott, who recently retired from boxing through injury, brings to us his many talents and provides a great role model to the children who use the park. We are hoping that Scott will be able to inspire others to use and take care of the park.

Do not ask what your park can do for you - only what you can do for your park!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Thu 05th Jul 2007 15:40
 As our ongoing efforts to improve the park continue, we find ourselves in the position of being short staffed. We are currently trying to administer a substantial budget in excess of £100,000 in a sensible and appropriate manner but find that we don't have enough people. Here then is your opportunity to do something that really matters for your local park by filling one of the many vacancies we now have available.



There are a number of key positions that need filling and you can read all about these by visiting the vacancies page or clicking [here]!

Blagdons Meadow to be taken into the Fotp
Author - Rob

 Published on
Thu 05th Jul 2007 12:23
 The Fotp committee were recently asked whether we would consider, as a group, taking Blagdons Meadow under our wing. Of the many arguments put forward for the proposal one was that we could provide the necesssary infrastructure because this was already in place for the Tothill Park project, another was that the area is well known for its' wildlife and deserves a body that is capable of rising to the challenge of looking after that aspect of the area.



After careful thought and due consideration, the Fotp committee decided that we would include Blagdons Meadow in our remit. Although there is nothing that we intend to do with the area at present other than to pick up litter from time to time, we hope to be able to produce a long term plan very shortly. As they say, watch this space....

Where is the notice board?
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 27th Jun 2007 10:29
 We are sorry to report that we have had to temporarily remove the friends of tothill park notice board that is usually attached to the wall of the bowling pavilion. This is because we have a new notice board designed by the children of local schools in both St Judes and Prince Rock and, if we put the board backup, it may well suffer the mindless vandalism that the old board suffered. Although the vandalism was reported to the police, we are thinking about the upcoming Britain in Bloom competition for which the judging will take place in July. We would like to try and keep the board in good condition until at least after the judging is complete.



We are currently looking for alternative positions within the park to put the board though and will let you know if we are able to do this by publishing a follow up article. In the meantime we are sorry that we cannot keep you up to date using the notice board but you will, of course, be able to get up to date news from this site.

Increased police presence is paying dividends
Author - Rob

 Published on
Sat 23rd Jun 2007 14:08
 Devon and Cornwall police have been given funding for additional Police Community Support Officers partly as a part of the PACT initiative. Open to some critiscm in the popular media about whether these PCSO's are effective and whether they represent value for money, we can be certain that we know the answer to that and it is a resounding yes! As a result of this additional funding and the establishment of these additional PCSO's, park users are able to call on resources not previously available and, in addition, are benefitting from increased foot patrols.

Just today, two members of the public were given advice and asked to bag and bin faeces by two PCSO's after allowing their dog to foul in the park. Taken in conjunction with the two fines recently imposed on other members of the public by the council's dog warden for the same offence and the cautions given to two offenders for riding mopeds through the park and the message being sent to the minority is now loud and clear. We are hoping that you, as park users, are already seeing the results of this continuing campaign to rid the park of these thoughtless few.

Braving the weather to make the working morning a success
Author - Rob

 Published on
Sat 23rd Jun 2007 12:32
 A rainy Saturday morning still saw a good turn out of volunteers for this months working morning who, undaunted by the weather, were keen to lend a hand. A solid group of volunteers plus a team provided by Plymouth City Council Parks Department successfully weeded some of the flower beds including the newly created one and did a sweep for litter collecting numerous bags.



Signs encouraging park users to use the litter bins were also placed around the park along with the latest PACT information from the police. If you would like to know more about PACT, please click on the PACT link in the main menu. The Fotp committee would like to thank those people who arrived to help this morning and the park really does look a lot better for the work done!

Working morning reminder for this weekend - volunteers required, please help us to make a difference!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Thu 21st Jun 2007 15:45
 On behalf of the FOTP Committee I would like to invite all local residents and park users to our next "working morning" on Saturday 23rd of June 2007 meeting outside of the Bowling Pavilion at 10;00. This time we will conduct a quick litter pick-up around the park, plant a flower bed and weed the previously installed flower bed.



As always our aim is to encourage like minded people to meet and share views and experiences of the park whilst helping the long process of re-instating Tothill Park to it's pre-war glory.



You will be made most welcome and we hope to see you there....

PACT initiative begins to reap rewards.
Author - Phil

 Published on
Sat 02nd Jun 2007 15:22
 Following on from the recent Police And Community Together (PACT) meeting, procedures have now been put in place, which the Police hope will have a positive impact on the lives of the local community and park users. The Police are now carrying out regular "walk throughs" of Tothill Park providing a presence which they hope will encourage residents and park users to engage with them regarding any matters which the Police may be of help and also to deter anti-social behaviour. The area now has dedicated Police Community Support Constables (PCSO) which have proved essential in the reduction of crime in other areas of the city and these, in support of Police Officers will be a familiar sight around the community on patrol.

So far, as a result of many complaints at the PACT meetinig and information recieved by the public caution letters have been issued to two youths who were persistantly riding mopeds through the park. The Police thank the community for their support of Officers and they shall shortly be conducting a "letter-drop" through the community informing them what are the 3 priorities as voted by those who attended the first PACT meeting are.



For more information please go to the PACT tab and check the diary for the next programmed meeting.

Teenage & Fitness Zone A Step Closer To Reality
Author - Phil

 Published on
Thu 31st May 2007 15:41
 The proposed Teenage & Fitness Zone took a giant step to becoming a feature of Tothill Park this week when the FOTP Committee were presented with the manufacturer's designs. Three renowned companies who specialise in play equipment were invited to tender for the contract to design and build the project in April , which will be located within the area where the basketball court is currently sited.

After feedback from local youths through several workshops and meetings held in 2006 -07 a detailed criteria was drawn up which matched the requests and aspirations of the 12 - 16 years age group. Items included in the design brief were:



1. Multi sport court for basketball, football and urban hockey.

2. TRIM TRAIL apparatus to provide a challenging fitness course suitable for youths and adults.

3. Outdoor multi-gym.

4. All weather shelter to allow young people to meet throughout the year.

5. Play equipment (including climbing apparatus and swings) specifically aimed at the 12 -16 years age group.

6. Sufficent number of benches and litter bins for all age groups.



The submitted designs will now be assessed by both the committee and local youths to ensure the criteria is met and value for money is achieved and on completion the winning contractor will be notified. It is envisaged that build will start mid to late July with a completion date of September 2007.



This is an important step in the regeneration of Tothill Park and the committee have put and will continue to put great empahsis on the need to provide adequate facilities for a very important age group (12 -16 years).

Tothill Park "Viewing Mound" Gets A Makeover
Author - Phil

 Published on
Wed 30th May 2007 11:25
 FOTP committee members, PCC park wardens, local residents and park users joined forces on Saturday 26th May 2007 to tidy up the viewing mound in Tothill Park. Over 15 people gave up a couple of hours to remove all weeds in pathway edges, drains, grass borders and excess soil to improve the appearance of the area. The volunteers were surprised just how much work could be done in a few hours and although it was heavy going everyone was pleased with the final result.

Phil (FOTP Chairman) said "These working mornings are very important to maintain the involvement of the local community, we decided that small projects on a regular basis would be the best way of achieving this. We are thrilled that Tothill Park will be on the Britiain In Bloom judging circuit representing Plymouth, so we are aiming to ensure the park looks it's best on the two judging days and this is an ideal means of raising awareness".

On completion of the tidy up the volunteers carried out a litter pick-up throughout the park to ensure unwanted rubbish was removed, collecting over 6 refuse sacks which had be discarded by inconsiderate park users.



If you would like more information about future "working mornings" then please click on the diary tab.

Working morning reminder - volunteers required, help us to make a difference!
Author - Rob

 Published on
Sun 20th May 2007 19:42
 On behalf of the Fotp committee

On behalf of the FOTP Committee I would like to invite all local residents and park users to our next "working morning" on Saturday 26th of May 2007 meeting outside of the Bowling Pavilion at 10;00. This time we will conduct a quick litter pick-up around the park and remove grass and weeds from the edging of paths.

As always our aim is to encourage like minded people to meet and share views and experiences of the park whilst helping the long process of re-instating Tothill Park to it's pre-war glory.

You will be made most welcome and we hope to see you there....

Tothill Park is selected to represent Plymouth in "Britain In Bloom 2007".
Author - Phil

 Published on
Sat 19th May 2007 21:06
 The FOTP Committee are delighted to announce Plymouth City Council has invited us to make a contribution to this years Britain in Bloom, run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which is the largest horticultural campaign in Europe. Judges will tour the city in July and August and assess the quality of planting, design and maintenance of Plymouth's formal gardens and floral displays as well as it's work in improving the local environment. The hard work that the committee, park users and the local community has done to improve Tothill Park and the ongoing work with local residents, school children, volunteer groups, the police and businesses has allowed us to fufill the RHS criteria.



The initiative encourages communities of all sizes to work together to make positive and lasting improvements and help create safer, cleaner and greener local environments. Our regular "working mornings", public consultations, newsletters and the environmental enhancement plans have demonstrated that the local community is well on it's way to achieving it's goal of returning Tothill Park to it's former glory whilst providing modern sporting, play and social facilities.



There are two competition levels - regional (South West in Bloom) and national (Britain in Bloom). There are 10 entry categories, based on local population and Plymouth enters the city category.



In 2006 Plymouth scooped a prestigious gold award in South West in Bloom and following this success we have been specially selected to represent the whole region this summer in the national competition. It is the first time in 18 years that Plymouth has been chosen to take part in the national competition and we will be competing against the best entries in the UK so we want as many local people as possible to get behind this year’s campaign.



The judges will be accompanied along Lanhydrock Road from The Embankment and will stop, to allow them to walk through the park whilst discussing with members of the Committee the achievements to date and plans for the future. You too can do your bit to ensure we give the right impression, if you live adjacent to the park or on Lanhydrock Road why not show off your garden or flower boxes or even your hedges - every little detail counts. Or come along to one of the "working mornings" in the park nearer to the judging date where you can help the FOTP Committee put the finishing touches to the park.

Sutton Play Rangers organise childrens half term event for Wednesday 30th May
Author - Rob

 Published on
Wed 16th May 2007 14:25
 We have received an email from Sutton Play Rangers Coordinator Karen Chapple telling us about Sutton Play Rangers and what they do.



Sutton Play Rangers have been delivering holiday play days in local parks and evening play ranger sessions in and around the Sutton ward for the last 5 years and are continuing to do this with another venture on Wednesday 30th May. From 11am - 3pm, the group are holding a free play event on the football field next to the changing rooms at the far end of Lanhydrock Road. The good news is that the day is free to all children and their families and there will be a range of play activities including sports, games and arts and crafts.



Activities are aimed at families with children aged between 3 and 12 years of age. Some activities involve paint and glue so please wear appropriate clothing. All Children under the age of 8 yrs must be accompanied by an adult. You can contact Sutton Play Rangers on 01752 263880 and you can download a poster detailing this event and others by clicking here

Successful PACT meeting held in Tothill Community Centre 9th May 2007.
Author - Phil

 Published on
Mon 14th May 2007 20:50
 Representatives from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary held the first of what are intended to be regular "Partners And Community Together" (PACT) meetings on the 9th May 2007. A well supported meeting by the local community allowed the police to explain community policing including which police officers covered which areas and the proposed plans for the future and the group compiled a list of items causing complaint within the community.

To recap they were; Police not responding to calls, speeding, parking issues, drunks in the park, vandalism, youths drinking, mopeds in the park etc. Most items to be expected. The officer then gave everyone 2 votes, in order to pick a ‘top 3’ wish list. These were; Police attendance, vandalism & youths drinking.

The Police's objective now is to research these areas, produce an action plan, and roll it out to the neighbourhood with a leaflet drop. They will then revisit these 3 key areas in approx 3 months, with another public consultation.

Please re-visit the site for further details of next proposed PACT meeting.

Devon & Cornwall Police PACT meeting - 9th May 2007
Author - Phil

 Published on
Wed 02nd May 2007 20:17
 The FOTP Committee would like to invite you to the first PACT meeting in Tothill Community Centre. It will be hosted by a representative from Devon & Cornwall Police who want to conduct a fact finding session with local residents and park users. They are interested in your concerns, ideas or suggestions about crime that effects the community. It will be held in Tothill Community Centre on the 9th May 2007 at 19;00 - all are most welcome.

FOTP Notice Board Competition Winners Announced
Author - Phil

 Published on
Mon 30th Apr 2007 19:04
 Children from Prince Rock Primary School entered a competition run by the FOTP Committee to design the border for the two notice boards, which will be sited in the park. The Committee were extremely impressed by the standard of entries and thought that they were all excellent. Because of the difficulty in choosing a clear winner it was decided to have 8 winning designs which will make up the borders (4 per board) of the notice board.

The winners are;

1st four;
Leonie davis
Emma & Caleisha.
Jamie Bonour.
Amy Richards & Charlotte Courts.

2nd four;
Katherine Courts.
Tina.
Hydary Muganzi.
Callum.

Many thanks to all who entered, we will shortly contact the school to arrange the awarding of prizes and the winning designs are with DML engravers being manufactured ready to go up in the park.

Flowerbeds Re-instated in Tothill Park
Author - Phil

 Published on
Mon 30th Apr 2007 12:33
 On Saturday 28th April 2007 over 25 volunteers both young and old gave a little of their valuable time to help the FOTP Committee re-instate a flowerbed in Tothill Park. It was a chance for local residents and park users to meet the Committee members and discuss the proposed environmental plans whilst doing their bit to improve the park's infrastructure.

Mr Graham Dear, a local resident said "I had seen this working morning advertised on the notice board and thought i'd like to help the Committee re-instate some features which were removed many years ago. I'm looking forward to seeing the roses during the summer months and I think this flowerbed, like the others planned in the near future will enhance the park".

The "Saturday Working Morning" was made possible because B&Q Coypool, kindly donated £500 worth of products from their store including a wide variety of roses as well as tools.


The re-instated flower bed



Phil, FOTP Chairman said "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of B&Q Coypool firstly for their generosity but also the time they have taken to help the Committee choose the most appropriate shrubs and roses for our project".

With so many volunteers, a group were able to walk through the park picking up litter, collectinig over 6 bin bags of rubbish making the park safer and more appealing for the public.

Such was B&Q's kindness once the main flowerbed had been re-instated there was enough roses left over to rejuvenate an exisiting bed close to the main entrance from Lanhydrock Road and create a new rose-bed adjacent to Tothill Library.

The FOTP Chairman enthused "I'm extremely happy that so many people have come along today, i think this is in recognition of the hard work the Committee has put in since we formed in September 2006. I believe the environmental enhancement plans have captured the public's imagination and I think as more projects are completed in and around the park more people will want to do their bit to restore Tothill Park to it's pre-war glory".


Working Morning Reminder
Author - Phil

 Published on
Tue 24th Apr 2007 19:14
 On behalf of the Fotp committee


On behalf of the FOTP Committee I would like to invite all local residents and park users to our next "working morning" on Saturday 28th of April 2007, meet us outside of the Bowling Pavilion at 10;00. This time we will conduct a quick litter pick-up around the park then we will plant our first rose bed. As always our aim is to encourage like minded people to meet and share views and experiences of the park whilst helping the long process of re-instating Tothill Park to it's pre-war glory.
I hope to see you there....

Visit by Heritage Lottery Fund to Tothill Park.
Author - Phil

 Published on
Mon 23rd Apr 2007 15:04
 A representative from The Heritage Lottery fund; Ms Kelly Spry-Phare visited Tothill Park today (23/4/07) to discuss the progress the FOTP Committee have made since forming in September 2006. Various items were discussed including the environment enhancement plans, work carried out to date, projects planned for the near future and the community involvement. Ms Spry-Phare was extremely impressed with the progress the Committee and PCC had made so far and looked forward to dealing with them in the near future to ensure a successful application for funding is realised.