Appeal made for better play areas

A mother is calling for money to be spent on improving play areas, which she says are falling into disrepair, and are a magnet for drinking teenagers.

Mrs Lorraine Burton (32) of Birch Road, Ollerton, said most of the facilities were not fit for young children to use.

She has asked Ollerton and Boughton Town Council, which is responsible for the five play areas in the town, to improve the facilities.

She said her 20-month-old daughter, Freya, wanted to use the Birch Road play area at the back of their house.

But Mrs Burton is hesitant about letting her daughter use the equipment because she said the area was regularly strewn with litter and broken glass, often left by teenagers who use the area for late-night drinking.

She said:”It used to be great when we were kids. It was regularly painted and people looked after it, but it has become run down.

“Council workers come along to pick up the litter and broken glass but nothing has been done for years.

“There is now more rust than paint, and the supposedly soft area around the equipment is shrinking and becoming hard.

“It really just needs a bit of tender loving care.”

“Freya likes to go on the park. She has been walking since she was ten months, and we like to keep her amused.

“She has play equipment in the garden, but she sees the slide in the park and thinks it is fantastic.

“The park must be more than 25-years-old, but I cannot remember the last time the swings were up.

“I think the council could do more to spend some money on all its play areas.”

She said play should be encouraged especially when childhood obesity was such a hot topic.

A letter from Mrs Burton expressing her concerns was read out at a town council meeting.

Mr Stan Crawford said people should be aware that in places like Newark and Mansfield, the district councils were responsible for play areas who had larger budgets.

He said: “We should use Mrs Burton’s letter as a spring board for our special projects committee to review all of our play parks.

“Ollerton is the fastest growing town in the district. We are bringing jobs to the area so we deserve some recognition.

“Good partnership working will mean we can access resources elsewhere.”

The town clerk, Mrs Christine Leivers, said the swings were taken down after the council received numerous complaints from residents about youths gathering there.

Mr Ray Shilling said: “You will always get nimbys who do not want the play area near their homes, but their own children, or grandchildren, will suffer because we are not providing facilities.

“It is expensive and we could not afford to do all five sites, but we have to show we are at least doing something.”