A PARK named after a stabbed monkey legend will be transferred to Slough Borough Council (SBC) as councillors unanimously agree.

Councillor James Swindlehurst (Labour: Cippenham Green), leader of SBC, said at a full virtual council meeting on May 21 that the local authority is ‘very lucky and privileged’ to take responsibility for Stabmonk Park from the former trustees of the park, the Chalvey Millennium Green Trust, and make environmental improvements on the land.

This means SBC and their trustee committee will look after the land and maintain it by improving the park’s footpaths, furniture and creating an access bridge over Chalvey Brook.

The costs will be covered by the council’s Slough Urban Renewal – a scheme set up with its construction rejuvenation partner Morgan Sindall Investments Limited.

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The trustees looked after Stabmonk Park since 2000 when a planning application threatened to destroy the land in 1998 – but the report claims members of the trust are struggling to recruit younger members into the organisation and have a lack of resources to keep up with the maintenance and management of the park.

The leader of the opposing Conservative party, councillor Wayne Strutton, said the land will be a valuable asset to SBC – but raised concerns if the trust’s obligations were up to date so the council won’t take any financial implications from the transfer.

Cllr Swindlehurst responded: “It’s subject to due diligence and any requirements of the Charity Commission, the offer of Stabmonk park by the Chalvey Millennium Green Trust to SBC, in it’s capacity as a corporate trustee of charitable land.

“So yes, when those works are completed and are updated, the recommendation will proceed.”

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Councillor Mohammed Sharif (Independent: Chalvey) welcomed the transfer and the opportunity for Slough Borough Council to improve the park.

He said: “The area has been used for drugs and other illegal things and we had a number of issues raised on the road where the entrance of Stabmonk park is.

“As a ward councillor, I am very happy that the council has an opportunity to improve this and help local residents to address some of the issues they have been raising with us which has been difficult for us to address because it has not been under council.

“It had been under the trust and I think it will be a benefit to the ward and our residents.”

Cabinet members green-lit the proposal on March 16 to bring it to full council for approval originally on April 28 – but was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

The park was named after a story dating back to the mid-19th century where an organ-grinder’s monkey was stabbed to death by a furious father after it bit the finger of his child.