Even if one were to accept David Cameron’s belief that the shrinking of local government could mean the so-called “big society” of voluntary effort would step into the gap, the increasing privatisation or removal from direct council control of local services like our public parks (Will the rot stop when even the parks are flogged off?, 27 November) actually makes it less likely that this will happen.
Within our local park are some gardens, used for horticultural training courses. For years the friends of the park have arranged for them to be open to the public on Sundays. But no more. The city council – because of the cuts – has had to hand them over to a charity which is unable to let this continue.
So, far from increasing voluntary activity, losses like these reduce both civic engagement and public access. They are damaging not only to a civilised society, as John Harris states, but also to an actively democratic one.
Jane Woddis
Birmingham
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