With the appointment of Mr I. L. (Les) Davies as Director of Leisure & Amenities on the 10th December 1979[1], the Parks Department ceased to exist as an independent entity within the Council. This reflected what was happening throughout the UK. The first Leisure and Amenities Committee meeting attended by Les Davies was on the 3rd March 1980.
Within this overall structure, Les Davies became Director of Sports and Leisure Services in June 1995[2] and in October Mike Clark was appointed Assistant Director (Parks).[3]
Les Davies retired at the end of March 1996[4] which coincided with the creation of the new Cardiff Unitary Authority.[5] From April 1996 untill 1999 Parks was part of Sports & Leisure Services, headed by Paul Jenkins, who was appointed as Director in November 1996.[6]
In 1999 the New Authority decided the Council structure should change. Parks was moved into a new service area called Highways & Parks which also included Waste Management, Vehicle Maintenance and Highway Maintenance. Mike Clark was appointed Operational Manager (Parks & Bereavement). Within that department Jon Maidment was appointed Operational Manager (Parks) in 2001/2 reporting to Mike Clark.
Following Mike Clark's retirement in 2007 Jon Maidment continued as Operational Manager (Parks) but subsequent Council restructures have increased his role to become Operational Manager (Parks, Sports & Harbour Authority).
Sources of Information