Future of Riverside Pitch and Putt in doubt as it closes for the season

The Riverside Park Pitch and Putt will stay closed this season and not open in May as it has done for years.

Southampton City Council said can no longer afford to subsidise the activity which was costing them £15,000 a year.

The building, which served as its hub, now has a sign attached to the front which reads: “Regrettably the pitch and putt will not be opening this season.

“We are currently looking at options available to us to open in the future. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

The council’s website said that the amusement was closed following a public consultation and it was agreed they could no longer subsidise it.

It adds: “We are however, currently looking for a partner to be able to run the facility.

“Unfortunately this will mean that the pitch and putt will not open in May as usual and will remain closed until such a time when the council can find an interested party to run it.”

But residents who use the park have spoken of their disappointment at the pitch and putt being shut this year.

Karen Milne, 63, from Woolston, said: “It is sad because there are so many people and so many kids who love the pitch and putt.

“When we used to come up here there used to be loads of people here using the pitch and putt and it was lovely.

“It is disappointing and just awful if they keep it shut.”

Cllr David Fuller, a Conservative member for the Bitterne Park Ward, said: “It is a shame it is not open, as far as I am aware it is a well used course and I have used it myself a few times.

“It is a good course and is a compliment to this city.

“It seems the council are not willing to provide the course themselves.”

Mitch Sanders, service director at Southampton City Council, said: “Over the past three years, the Riverside Pitch and Putt Course has been run at a net loss of £15,000 per annum.

“When considering the cost of maintenance against income, the council had been subsidising the course to this amount.

“The council has decided that it cannot continue to subsidise the course. Any future operation of the course will need to be cost neutral to the council.

“We are currently test-marketing with partners to determine the level of interest in running the course as either a social enterprise or a commercial venture.”

Sam Beverley, 31, a nurse from Bitterne, said: “It is disappointing that it has shut, it is important that activities like this are kept open because Southampton is statistically one of the most obese cities in England.”

Sandra Denny, 57, a nurse from Turner Park, said: “I think it is a great shame as it used to be very busy in the evenings as well as the weekends and would give people something to do on a lovely summer evening. They should definitely reopen it.”

Terry Watson, 56, from Thornhill, who works in customer services, said: “I think it is well worth subsidising because apart from it being fun it is good for the whole area. I was disappointed when I saw it wasn’t open. It is cutting back on the things that underpin the community”

Josh Watson, 24, a hotel worker from Thornhill, said: “I was just disappointed to see it was not open, we came down to use it for the first time. I think it is important and should definitely be reopened, it is a bit of a waste otherwise.”