BOOZERS have made a recently transformed ‘pocket park’ in Leamington’s Old Town a no-go zone.
Packington Place, off High Street, was given a colourful facelift, including mosaic-covered raised flower beds, during the summer.
The project, funded by grants of around £6,500 and donations from local firms, was overseen by community group ARC CIC, with artwork done by the Positive Signs mosaic group, and the raised beds planted up by volunteers from the local community, including the Way Ahead project at the Salvation Army.
But since completion the area has become a magnet for street drinkers.
One resident of the area, who did not want to be named, told The Observer it was a great shame.
“A lot of hard work obviously went into the project and it seems a crying shame that no one can really enjoy it because more often than not there are people gathered there drinking alcohol.
“I know they can be seen drinking around the area, but they seem to like to gather at the park – probably because they can sit on the raised beds.
“It’s not that they cause any trouble, but people gathered together drinking alcohol in the middle of the day is intimidating nonetheless. It just means people cannot enjoy the park.”
A spokesperson for ARC CIC they were looking to tackle the issue.
She said: “We acknowledge there is a problem. We have a small group that looks after the flower beds and they continue to work to improve the area.”
