Cuts threaten to close animal centre

Friends of Maryon Wilson Parks chairman Tim Anderson said: "We have been shocked and disappointed that the council has decided not to fund its own urban animal park after 70 years of commitment."

The council ratified the £43,000 cut to the centre in March despite a petition with 3,000 signatures.

Once the cut proposal was made public a campaign group called Stamp (Save The Animals of Maryon Wilson Park) was formed to collect signatures.

Children from the nearby primary school set up their own campaign but when they put posters on the animal enclosures, council staff were ordered to remove them.

The children now have their posters on display on their school fence with the full support of the school staff.

As the park was gifted to London in 1924 and the deer in 1926, by the Maryon Wilson family via an indenture, the Friends group is looking into the nature of the covenant, as it has been commonly held locally that the deer can not be moved from the park. The closure would mean that the three large animal enclosures that are home to deer, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks and ponies and the indoor facility for guinea pigs and reptiles would be left empty.

And the group also have their concerns about what would happen to these much loved animals following the closure.

Mr Anderson said: "The centre provides close contact with animals for those who may not otherwise have such opportunities like those living in high rise flats with no gardens. The council has valued and supported the centre through three depressions, the Great Depression of the 1930s, the 1970s oil crisis and in the 1980s as well as through two world wars but they have nominated this unique centre for closure just now when children need it the most.

"The savings for the council are too small and the benefits to children and the community are too great to lose."

The centre employs just one full-time member of staff and the Friends group say the council is over estimating how much the centre costs to run to justify the cuts.

A Greenwich Council spokesman said: "There are no changes to the animal park in Maryon Wilson Park at this time. However, in a bid to protect essential frontline services the council, faced with record breaking cuts from the Coalition Government of £63million, is keen to reduce areas of subsidised expenditure wherever it can.

"Therefore over the next 12 months, the council proposes to engage with local people who have expressed an interest in the park to determine whether there is a sufficient level of community interest to increase local involvement in the park and eliminate the subsidy."

Figures from the Green Chain Walk show that 233,000 walkers passed through the nearest counter in a year. Primary schools, nurseries, early years centres, adults with learning disabilities and two special schools also use the animal centre where Riding for the Disabled ponies are stabled.

Mr Anderson said: "When the cut was made, we feel the council members did not fully understand the value of the Animal Care Centre.

"We ask the council see the full potential of the centre and to think again."

Go to friendsofmaryonparks.org