THE proposed pavilion at the park in Faringdon Road is just the type of project the place needs.

There was a time some years ago when the park was a no-go area for countless local people who had every right to use it.

People visiting during the day might find themselves accosted by drunks or drug abusers begging for cash, while anybody setting foot in the park at night risked being mugged or suffering something even worse.

Bearing in mind that the park was originally a proud symbol of the blossoming of the town as an engineering powerhouse and place of enlightened employment practices in the 19th Century, its decline was a painful process to witness.

Although things are far from perfect today, they are far better than they were. The improvement is thanks largely to the attentions of that excellent organisation, the Mechanics’ Institution Trust.

From paving the way for the installation of a play park to securing extra funding, the trust has done sterling work.

The notion of replacing the old pavilion which was torn down decades ago is anything but far-fetched. The trust clearly has the necessary determination and also plenty of experience in securing funding.

The major obstacle, as we explain in our story today, is the fact that the park remains a magnet for vandals and other anti-social elements after dark.

Locking the gates to keep them out would go a great way toward eliminating that obstacle and helping the pavilion project on its way to success.

The closure of a public park at any time of the day or night is hardly an ideal scenario, but in this instance it is surely a trifling price to pay for a much greater good.