The impending creation of a multi purpose sports area in a Borehamwood park has provoked a clash of feelings among residents.

As planning permission was passed by Hertsmere Borough Council last week, many people living in the surrounding roads of Aberford Park breathed a sigh of relief to know the town's young people would have somewhere to play.

But others, whose homes face the park, fear the area will attract large gangs of teenagers, vandalism and litter.

"We are disgusted with the decision," said Sheila Kelly of Brook Road, who together with her husband and neighbours has campaigned to stop the plans going ahead. "Young children come here to play or ride their bikes and people feed the ducks or walk their dogs. Goodness knows what will happen to all the wildlife now. As it is, swans have had carrier bags put over their heads in the past, and with teenagers hanging around here at ten or eleven o'clock at night the wildlife is in danger.

"It's not that we don't care about Borehamwood's young people, we do. It's just that we feel Aberford Park is not suitable for this use. It already has a use and I don't see why the council had to change that."

As part of the plans, a four metre high green painted metallic fence will surround the sports ground, which young people can use for activities such as basket ball. An application to paint murals on the side of brick walls in the park was turned down.

"At least that is something," said Mrs Kelly. "I really would not have liked to have looked out of my window and seen that. As for the sports ground, we will make inquiries to see if there is anything we can do to stop it going ahead, because I think you'll find there are a lot of us who do not want it in this park."

However, a 90 signature petition in favour of the development proves that while some residents feel the same as Mrs Kelly, many are in strong support.

"To say that our young people are all vandals is just nonsense," said Janet Maynard of Catterick Way, Borehamwood, who organised the petition. "Most of them are good children who want somewhere to go. It is very short-sighted to say that the park should be used just by young children, because they all grow up and we have got to move with the times.

"We can't just keep condemning them. They all have the potential to do something constructive and this is a step. It is fabulous news for the children of Borehamwood."

Mrs Kelly, a mother of teenagers herself, hopes that she and her fellow petitioners against the development will have their fears proved wrong.

She said: "If there is nothing more we can do, we just hope that we do not get gangs of teenagers hanging around the park. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

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