AFTER 10 years of taking excited children to see Santa by mini train in Poole Park, the attraction has hit the buffers this year.

Borough of Poole decided in favour of a rival grotto in the park, ousting Chris Bullen who owns the miniature railway, and his live reindeer, who instead will be nearly five miles away at Upton Country Park.

Aided by Kris Hall and his wife Jess, who run the landtrain, a grotto is being set up near the education centre at the park, with a paddock for the reindeer and other animals.

“Lots of people have been asking about it,” said Chris Bullen. “I am very disappointed really. I was told I can’t do Christmas.

“It seems really sad because we run the railway in the park where we have had a grotto for 10 years. Our Christmas grotto is moving to Upton Country Park this year – which is an absolutely super place,” he added.

Kris Hall said he and Jess, who own the Peppermint Café in Parkstone Road, will be helping out at weekends. Santa will be there from November 22 until 5.30pm on Christmas Eve.

“I do think it’s going to be really missed this year,” said Kris Hall. He had asked to run the landtrain from the car park at the country park to the grotto but said the council refused.

“There will be a ticket for a Poole Park train ride among the goodies so they won’t miss out on it. It’s not quite the same – we all realise that,” he said.

Concerns have been raised by residents on a Poole Park Users Group Facebook page about who made the decision and why there was no consultation or a tender process. Resident Shirley Worth said the owner of the railway was: “Bitterly disappointed that he is not allowed to run the grotto this year, especially as he found out at the last minute, after he had done a lot of the preparation required to be able to run it.”

‘More choice for residents’

Anthony Rogers, recreation and community manager, Borough of Poole, said: “Having received an application for a Christmas themed event in Poole Park this year and following discussions with businesses in the park we are delighted to offer Christmas events at two of our award-winning Green Flag parks this year.

“This offers local residents a wider choice and we hope that the partnership with both providers will prove to be a great success.”

As the Daily Echo has already reported, The Ark is transforming the cricket pavilion into a log cabin where Santa will be installed, open from November 27 to Christmas Eve.