Plymouth Conservative leader calls for action over condition of city play parks
The leader of the Conservative group on Plymouth City Council is calling for improvements to the city’s children’s play areas, saying many are being left in poor condition despite being subject to regular inspections.
Councillor Chris Wood says he has repeatedly raised concerns about the standard of maintenance, particularly in Eggbuckland Ward, where he believes damaged equipment, worn safety surfaces and graffiti are becoming increasingly common.
He says families should be able to expect clean, safe and well maintained play areas for their children.
Councillor Wood said: “Play areas across Plymouth are simply not being maintained to the standard that families should expect. This is particularly evident in the Eggbuckland ward, where it is becoming increasingly common to see play equipment that is faulty or in need of repair, while graffiti is left untouched for long periods. These are spaces that children use every day, and when they appear neglected it sends the message that they are not being properly cared for.
“The condition of the safety surfacing is another growing concern. In several play areas, the rubber surfaces have worn away, become uneven or started to break up. These surfaces are there to help protect children if they fall, so allowing them to deteriorate defeats their purpose. Problems like these do not appear overnight they develop over time when routine maintenance is not carried out.
“Plymouth City Council says these play areas are inspected every week. If that is the case, it is difficult to understand why so many obvious problems remain unresolved. Either the inspections are identifying issues that are simply not being acted upon, or they are failing to pick up problems that are plain for residents to see. Whichever is the case, the end result is the same, our children’s play areas are being allowed to deteriorate instead of being properly maintained.
“I have raised these concerns with the council, but the problems remain.”
Plymouth City Council has previously said that children’s play areas are inspected on a weekly basis and that repairs are prioritised according to the level of risk identified. Councillor Wood argues that the condition of a number of play parks suggests more needs to be done to ensure maintenance issues are dealt with promptly before they become more serious.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post