More than 900 responses were received from the public as part of a review of the borough’s play areas.
Councillors at the Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee on Wednesday 10 March were presented with the results of the council’s Play Review public consultation.
The council had previously undertaken an assessment of all 143 play areas it looks after within the borough, to ensure it produces the best play offer for the borough. The consultation, which received a total of 948 responses, was to give residents the opportunity to provide their thoughts on how a proposed reduction to 88 play areas may affect them.
The proposed programme of play upgrades will see the council spend up to £9 million over the next ten years, at a rate of approximately £900,000 each year.
Chairman of the committee, Councillor David Harrison, said: “The council recognises the importance of play as an essential aspect of development, and we want to improve the offer for our borough’s children.
“The removal of play areas offering poorer quality play value, or which are considered to be in inappropriate locations, allows us to provide more targeted investment and achieve a greater number of ‘good’ play facilities across the borough.
“The feedback from the consultation has provided a very positive overall view of our proposed ten-year programme of play investment. But we’ve listened to community concerns too, and as a result have made a number of amendments to the proposals.
“Rather than removing the equipment, at Great Gregorie Small and Mayland Path we will invest £30,000 in each site to bring them up to a ‘good’ standard. And at Methersgate and Barrington Gardens, we will be keeping them there for at least the remainder of their lifespan.
“Thank you to everyone who completed the consultation. I’m glad that we as councillors have been able to agree to these amendments and listen to the will of our residents.”
