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FIFTEEN-YEAR CAMPAIGN: Councillor Margaret Leicester at Cheyne Weare car park on Portland Picture: FINNBARR WEBSTER/F6855

A RUN-DOWN Portland picnic site is set to be given a new lease of life.

Work is due to begin on the Cheyne picnic and viewing area next week after a campaign by borough councillor Margaret Leicester.

Coun Leicester, who spent 15 years working to secure the site for the public to enjoy, said she became concerned over the way the once-popular site had been allowed to go to waste.

She raised the issue with Portland Town Council, which she accused of failing in their duty to maintain the area. Coun Leicester said: "During my time as a town councillor, it took me over 15 years of persistent negotiations with the various changes of stone companies to obtain a 30-year lease of the site at a peppercorn rent of £1 per year during the 1980s.

"With its wonderful views, stone picnic tables and benches and a barrier to exclude lorries and caravans, it was an ideal place for families and very popular with older people.

"The site is now so full of potholes, particularly large at the entrance and filled with water from heavy rain, that it is impossible to walk around and the replacement barrier is impossible to pass through without the possibility of skimming wing mirrors on an average size car."

Coun Leicester added: "One company is willing to supply free aggregate to fill the potholes and seeing the extent of the disrepair it makes me wish that I had never asked if Portland Town Council could be the custodians of this precious site.

"How can the council expect to be taken seriously if they cannot even look after a simple area like this viewing site?"

Coun Leicester said she still had not been informed that the town council intended to take any action on the picnic site but deputy mayor Richard Paisley insisted improvements were imminent.

He said: "I totally agree with Coun Leicester's comments on the Cheyne site but I do not appreciate the derogatory comments made in her letter about Portland Town Council. Work on repairing Cheyne will start next week and we have appointed two councillors to monitor the area and footpaths on a regular basis and report back at each full council meeting."

1:37pm Friday 4th July 2008

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