A problem moved is not a problem solved

by Lise Bosher, St Mary's Resident

When I was teaching Forest School in East Oxford we used part of Iffley Fields made available by the council Park Rangers. The children loved our sessions outdoors in the trees.

Then a decision was taken to clean up South Park and to crack down on drug users there. This was successful in narrow terms. The drug trade moved out of South Park …. to Meadow Lane and Iffley Fields where users left their needles. Our Forest School area became too dangerous to use.

I learnt something. Moving a problem is not the same as solving it. I feel the same about my home area. Moving cars out of the East Oxford ‘wedge’ that includes St Mary’s will move more pollution to Cowley Road, Iffley Road, St Clement’s etc.

When making changes the effects need to be modelled for the whole city. It is not fair simply to move a problem from one patch to another.