YOUR reader Glyn Dickinson is quite right to encourage scrutiny of council decisions, including that for Poole Park's recent reduction in through vehicular traffic by closing Whitecliff gate to vehicles.

Readers will find the all the documents considered and links to the live streaming of cabinet and overview and scrutiny meetings on BCP's website.

I am delighted to report that both meetings were conducted by officers in an exemplary manner which quite frankly could be used for training sessions for councils all round the country.

I would encourage anyone in any doubt about conduct of the meetings or the improvement in Poole Park to visit BCP's calendar of meetings online and follow the links to this information.

I would also encourage them to visit Poole Park at their earliest opportunity, to find a quieter more pleasant place much closer to the park donated by Lord Wimborne than the sorry rat run which it had become. All car parks are of course still open as two vehicular entry points remain, at the junction of Parkstone and Sandbanks Road (opposite the chippy) and at Kingland Road (opposite the Dolphin swimming pool).

If a council had decided to hand over the decision making for Poole Park's future to a referendum then they would have had to go through the same process of considering all the relevant law and policies set by councillors first before they could do this.

There seemed to be some confusion from a couple of councillors and quite a few of those campaigning for the right to continue using Whitecliff entrance with a car between a consultation and a referendum.

A referendum is when the council hands over, at great expense because of the complicated legal monitoring required, a decision to a public vote. A consultation looks for ideas and opinions from both local residents, stakeholder groups and those from outside the area who are affected.

I do hope that as many people as possible, whatever their views, will experience our beautiful park as a park this summer and for as long as they wish. It really is something to be immensely proud of and cared for accordingly.

Susan Stockwell

Britannia Road,

Poole