Newcastle City Council has cut down the hedgerow maze in Leazes Park due to complaints that it was a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Local authority bosses said that the attraction had not resembled a maze for years and had become an eyesore, acting as a magnet for drug use and anti-social behaviour.
A report warned that the feature, designed and planted by schoolchildren as part of Leazes Park’s 2004 restoration, was “primarily being used as a public toilet”.
Plans for the future
The area it occupied, next to the park’s tennis and basketball courts, will be re-landscaped with grassland and tree planting.
Parks chiefs say they will consult with residents over potential alternative uses for the former maze site in the future, which could potentially be linked to the vacant Moffat pavilion building.
The attraction was meant to represent the four elements, split into quarters for fire, water, air and earth.
But the council’s report said that the maze was “in a poor state of disrepair and the scene of anti-social behaviour with it primarily being used as a public toilet”, adding that the problems had “resulted in much of maze dying off and becoming an eyesore whilst also allowing the anti-social behaviour to take place”.
The Victorian park lost its Green Flag status last year, amid complaints about its condition after being used to stage music festivals, but has since gained back the prestigious award.
Leazes Park’s future has become the subject of intense debate in the city due to reports that it became the site of a potential new stadium for Newcastle United.
Council comment
A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We love Leazes Park and were so proud at it being awarded Green Flag status earlier this year. Since taking on management of our parks we have been clear we want our parks to thrive, not just survive.
“We want to be clear, this area has not resembled a maze in a number of years and is instead a scarcely visited corner of the park with overgrown shrubs. That has instead led to the area being used as a toilet and we have also found a large amount of drug paraphernalia.
“We have been working closely, and will continue to do so, with the Friends of the Garden (FOG) who supported the removal of the maze. We will be consulting with residents and park users to gather potential ideas so we can continue to ensure our green spaces are places to cherish.”
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