Western Park, Leicester

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Western Park northern view from the tennis courts. Western Park, Leicester - geograph.org.uk - 102135.jpg
Western Park northern view from the tennis courts.

Western Park is a park and surrounding suburb located in West End of Leicester. It is also a ward of the City of Leicester whose population at the 2011 census was 10,609. [1]

Contents

The park itself was bought for £30,000 in 1897 and at 178 acres (0.72 km2) is the biggest in Leicester. [2] [3] While the park has a "blend of meadows, mature woods and hedgerows" [4] the park also contains a large number of sporting facilities including a BMX track, a skate ramp, a baseball field, two bowling greens, five football pitches, six cricket pitches (all with associated changing facilities) and six tennis courts. [4] Until the 1950s the Park's tennis courts, then located to the far west of the Park, were the home of Westcotes Church Tennis Club and then Westfields Lawn Tennis Club. [5] The club later moved to a site on the nearby Eastfield Road; the courts on Western Park are now open to the public.

Since 2008, the full-sized baseball field at the southwest end of park has been home to the Leicester Blue Sox Baseball Club. The Blue Sox have been British Baseball Federation national baseball champions in 2009 and 2012. The club has adult and youth teams and is open to players of all ages and abilities.

Until May 2013 [6] the former park warden's lodge was home to the environmental charity Groundworks Leicester & Leicestershire, [7] formerly known as Environ. This building was called the "Eco House" after being converted as a show house, used to demonstrate ways of making homes more environmentally friendly. It was open to the public and held one-off events as well as receiving visits from local schools. [8] The Eco House and the neighbouring recycling centre were part of the larger Groundwork UK network. [9]

A voluntary group, The Friends of Western Park, works with the city council to "improve the park for everyone". [10] [11]

The area of Leicester sharing the park's name is a generally affluent area to the South and East of the park. The suburb also contains Dovelands Primary School which caters for 550 3–11-year olds, including nursery school children. [12] St. Anne's Parish Church, [13] and the aforementioned Westfields Tennis Club. The club has four floodlit courts and caters to both children and adults from the local area and beyond. [14] Christ the King Roman Catholic primary school, rated "outstanding" by Ofsted hosts two sites, the infant site at the top of Western Park and the junior site further down on Glenfield Road. [15]

Council Election result, 2011

Western Park (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Susan Barton1,295
Labour George Coles1,214
Liberal Democrats Peter Coley973
Conservative James Smyth753
Liberal Democrats Stuart Emmerson627
Conservative Jacob Wilkinson616
Green Alexander Scott350
UKIP Carol Young129
UKIP Kevin Young93
Liberal Sarah Euston76
Turnout 3,338
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Council Election result, 2007

Source: [16]

Western Park (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Roger Blackmore 1,29724%
Liberal Democrats Peter Coley1,19822%
Labour Neil Clayon60911%
Labour Peter Mason60011%
Conservative Frances Ashlin54410%
Conservative Julian John5159%
Green Christopher Seal3587%
Green Brian Fewster3536%
Turnout 2,871
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Council By Election result, 1992

Western Park (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Coley1,01138.2%+22.2
Conservative David Dalby85932.5%−9.6
Labour Paul Bodell73127.6%−10.8%
Green Geoff Forse461.7%−1.7
Majority1525.7%
Turnout 264831.2%
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +15.9

Council Election result, 1983

Western Park (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stewart Hill2,179
Conservative Sydney Phipps2,152
Labour David Collins1,328
Labour Eric Taylor1,220
SDP Phillip Meadhurst479
SDP Lisa Brown493
Green Christopher Seal358
Turnout 4,09044.6%
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

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References

  1. ↑ "Western Park, 2011". UK Census Data. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "The History of Western Park". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  3. ↑ "General Information". Friends of Western Park. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Western Park, Hinckley Road". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  5. ↑ "The history of Westfields Tennis Club". Westfields Tennis Club - Leicester. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  6. ↑ Mair, Vibeka (8 May 2013). "Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire closes down". Civil Society Media. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "About Us". Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "EcoHouse". Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Welcome". Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Friends of Western Park". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  11. ↑ "Home". Friends of Western Park. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  12. ↑ "Welcome: About Us". Dovelands Primary School. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  13. ↑ "St Anne's Parish Church". A Church Near You. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  14. ↑ "Home". Westfields Tennis Club - Leicester. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  15. ↑ "Performance Inspection & Ofsted Report". Christ The King Catholic Voluntary Academy. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Detailed Results for Western Park ward". Leicester City Council. 2007. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2019.

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