The illustration (above) was part of a controversial leisure centre proposal, suggested for siting on The Forest in the 1990s. The project was much contested at the time and never came to fruition.
Many other developments throughout the history of Nottingham’s green spaces have been contested. This theme includes:
- disagreements about enclosure, private versus restricted access spaces, management of the race course, crime, policing and anti-social behaviour, gambling and alcohol consumption, 20th century development of leisure facilities and transportation
Posts and articles about Controversies and Contestation:
The entrance fee controversy at the Nottingham Arboretum (25 April 2016) - Victorian urban parks are often described as ‘public’ institutions however many were not straightforwardly ‘public’ and placed some restrictions upon who could visit, especially those founded up to the 1850s. […]
Nottingham Arboretum’s Oldest Figure: The Troublesome Statue of Feargus O’Connor (20 April 2016) - The statue of Feargus O’Connor (1794-1855), the popular Irish Chartist leader, stands quietly in the Arboretum beneath the trees and onlookers today probably find it hard to appreciate the amount […]
Nottingham’s Enclosure Act 1845: the context and arguments (18 April 2016) - By the end of the 18th Century, Nottingham was overcrowded; housing was inadequate and the insanitary conditions led to a higher than average mortality rate. The densely populated centre was […]
Employing the Unemployed (24 February 2016) - Nottingham, like many towns and cities suffered periods of economic depression and high unemployment throughout the 19th century. For many, the final resort was the much criticised workhouse. In reality, […]
Controlling anti-social behaviour in the Parks and Walks (18 February 2016) - Although the town Council was responsible for managing Nottingham’s recreation grounds, parks and walks, the day-to-day supervision of the areas was done by the police. Lodges were built at the […]
Reclaim the Night, 2013 (24 March 2014) - Reclaim the Night – or Take Back the Night – marches have been held all around the world as a protest and direct action against rape and sexual violence against […]
The Nottingham Inclosure Act 1845: Why it is important today (4 December 2013) - Nottingham Inclosure Act, 1845: Why is it important today? © June Perry AN INCLOSURE is the changing of open fields, moorland and wastes into fenced areas, basically a change from […]