At the recent Middleton Township meeting the councillors and attending members of the public were given an ‘inspiring’ presentation to inform of the new approach in reporting about, quote, ‘Population Health, activities and initiatives of the Public Health Team to increase residents’ access to, and use of, good quality greenspaces in the Borough of Rochdale’.
It sounds very laudable, and I think that it means they want more of us to get up and out into nature locally to experience the health benefits of the natural environment – for our improved mental and physical health. And the current zeitgeist is, indeed, that spending even a short time amongst trees, flowers and hearing birds improves our mood and exercising there is even better.
The presentation was very interesting, and the enthusiastic Public Health Specialist showed us slides of relevant statistics and lovely pictures of the Alkrington Woods Nature Reserve in Middleton in the Borough that she had visited, which she highlighted as an area to be utilised.
She didn’t know the area and the audience chipped in with suggestions of other green spaces for her to visit to assess for the report such as Wince Brook Nature Reserve, Truffet Park, Borrowdale Community Asset, Bowlee Community Park, Boarshaw Clough, Hopwood Woods and Jubilee Park in and around Middleton
Apparently, the Rochdale Borough has great access to outdoor space with two thirds of the Borough being rural and a higher proportion of people living within 500m of a woodland area (29%) compared to the England average (15%). However, access to good quality greenspaces such as parks, woodlands, fields or allotments vary greatly and the borough had only 11.8% of the population utilising the outdoor space – truly shocking, I think, and the Council are wanting to promote more use.
Continuing, the Public Health Specialist advised that, for 2024/25, the Rochdale Borough’s Public Health annual report would take a much more ‘inspirational and ambitious approach’ working with local creative organisations around the neighbourhood environments, specifically highlighting access to good quality outdoor space and the benefits to residents’ health. All sounds great.
However, my thoughts throughout this optimistic view of our beautiful nature spots was contrary to her view of the multiple health benefits that she propounded. I have lived very near to Alkrington Woods almost all my life and it was an idyllic playground in my youth and later years, but now when I go for a walk there my blood pressure rises, I feel angry and depressed – the exact opposite of how I should feel according to the Health Specialist. The paramount reason is frequent illegal off road bike vandalism. Motor bikes, quad bikes and electric bikes zoom through the woodland and grassland destroying paths and endangering those of us out for a pleasant walk. The vandals are often rude and aggressive, too. The police and rangers are too under resourced to prevent it, and the criminals too bent on having their ‘fun’ at other users’ expense. Also, the amount of litter of all forms disheartens me and the numerous empty nitrous oxide cannisters. The ‘camp’ fire remnants with broken glass around contribute to my low mood, too. The birds and trees are still there, but the overwhelming sense of despair is often too much!
I am a member of the group ‘Friends of Alkrington Woods’ and we carry out frequent litter picks, we report the antisocial behaviour to police and broken bike ‘traps’ and ruined paths to the Council. Our members have done great work with tree planting including an orchard area, invasive species pulling up, pond habitat creating, monitoring of water quality and creating inclusive access areas in partnership with the Green Volunteers, Middleton in Bloom and other parties. ‘Fairy Door’ trails have been made for children with their families to follow in collaboration with school children. There are QR codes for the native tree identification. Certainly, the Woods is a beautiful area to visit and can be a tonic to a person’s well being until……you hear the roar of the motorbikes!
As yet, no one from Public Health and Communities Directorate has ‘collaborated’ with the Friends group to obtain its views, but we await the final report with the presentation and film about the green spaces in the Borough and their benefits to our wellbeing. However, we hope the vandals on their motor bikes wearing balaclavas don’t see it.