Trim Park plays an integral role in Newcastle, offering residents an ideal location to relax and unwind while socialising with family and friends. However, the community-based venue has faced neglect over the years, which the Newcastle Municipality is now planning to address.
This initiative is part of the Newcastle Municipality’s 2035 vision, which aims to establish Newcastle as a bustling metro and see the town reach new heights. One of the key projects in this plan is the renovation and revamping of Trim Park.
According to the Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan, R12 million has been approved by the Department of Environmental Affairs for the project. The focus will be on enhancing tourism via Trim Park and improving the management of the Ncandu River.
Taking a closer look at the project, Newcastle Municipality’s Councillor Bertie Meiring stated that the project will focus on the rehabilitation of the Ncandu River, which runs through the popular park. At present, homeless people use the area as a thoroughfare to their shelters under the Hardwick Street Bridge and the Allen Street Bridge by the taxi rank, where many of them reside. Trucks and taxis have also been using Trim Park as a place to park.
As part of the preparations for the initiative, Councillor Meiring noted that a height restriction gate has been erected at Trim Park to prevent trucks from entering the premises, allowing the grass and vegetation to start rehabilitating.
Additionally, the Newcastle Municipality began addressing the homeless community living under Hardwick Street on Friday, 21 June 2024. The Municipality took action after being made aware of the large number of people living under the bridge and the significant amount of litter they had caused.
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Moreover, Newcastle Municipality’s Councillor Faizel Cassim added that as the Municipality focuses on Trim Park, it is important to note that they are still in consultation with the necessary stakeholders to see the project take off. This includes securing the necessary funding and addressing key issues within the park, such as ensuring the Ncandu River is not affected by sewage leaks and other forms of pollution, while also managing overgrown vegetation in the river.
Therefore, no timeframe has been allocated to the project yet, due to the extensive planning required to see Trim Park become a true community-based venue that forms part of Newcastle Municipality’s quest to become a metro.
As more developments materialise and further information becomes available, Newcastillian News will keep you, our awesome readers updated.
With the Newcastle Municipality now preparing to tackle Trim Park and transform it into a haven for Newcastillians, what are your thoughts on the above?
Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 11
At last trim park will be restored back to what it was thankyou that’s awesome
The height restricted was started over amonth or so ago and is incomplete. Presently the park is used as a parking area by taxi’s.
This used to be one of the best places to relax and have fun, but now the stench of sewage is overwhelming and the crime level is extremely high
The initiative to restore the Trim Park is awesome, and a very welcome repair for the town and its people, as a whole.
Can we please now also have a restoration of Newcastle’s roads, from pothole ridden rubbish, to former tarmac splendour. Also, apply some paint to our roads, so that the markings become visible, as was once the norm.
Maybe we can issue our Traffic Department with paint and brushes, as they seem to be idle for most of the year…the taxi’s and trucks using the Trim Park as a parking lot, can easily be issued traffic fines, thus generating more income for our Municipality, but sadly, the Traffic Department seems occupied under a bridge.
I think this will help to reduce crime that is reported everyday in Newcastle CBD and the surrounding suburbs. If all this homeless went back to their original places and vacate our beautiful town
You are so obsessed with TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT. make an appointment with the heads, so that you can be well informed of their duties, clearly you feel that you could do a better job than them, do you even realize that the MUNICIPALITY TRAFFIC OFFICALS ARE NOT ONLY THERE TO STAND AND DIRECT TRAFFIC, GIVE OUT FINES ECT, THE TRAFFIC OFFICERS WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH THE BRIDGE DWELLERA ARE THOSE WHO HAVE POSITIONS IN ENFORCING BYLAWS!!!! You seem angry at them for getting rid of the bridge dwellers, seems you are in support of homeless drug addicts, who pose a threat to the motorists, by standing at the traffic lights, stop streets somedays us motorists need to try avoid them as if we knock them then we in trouble, and then you will have a big mouth about that and ask where we’re the traffic officials. I pity you who isn’t informed about how things work.
I love Newcastle! I have grown up here and have watched my kids and their kids all grow up here. In general the people are friendly and are not as aggressive as places like joburg or “nose in the air” cape town. It really is great to see all this news about the municipality working to fix this place up after years of neglect. The people who are negative and cannot see the weeds from the grass need to calm down. This town is a good place. Go to Limpopo or the freestate if you want to see depression in session. Have a drink, put your feet up and soak in this town’s good energy.
We are looking forward to Trim park being rehabilitated indeed.Yes Trim Park has been neglected over a long period of time.The communities were utiling this neglected area at their own risk with no ablution facilities,proper kids entertainment facilities and braai facilities. We will be much happy if somehow park gymnasium facilities will be put in place.For the community to utilize them at no cost.
That is a good idea in Newcastle we don’t have places to attract tourists and it will create more job opportunities and boost the economy of Newcastle
I don’t agree with money being wasted on the Trim Park unless there will be rules in place and an entry fee charge for those utilizing the area for ‘family’ recreation, already it’s a public space being utilized for braais and people abusing alcohol in the area. It’s not a good sight traveling along the road( hardwick) and seeing the amount of public using the area as a free party zone. No the money spent on the rehabilitation of the Trim Park should be somewhere more useful.
By-laws. Let the Traffic Department (which you so vehemently defend) enforce the by-laws.
Simple as that. Apply the same standards as for the “bridge-dwellers”.