A town councillor is backing parents’ calls for money to be spent on childrens’ play areas on two residential estates in Ledbury as the county council earmarks funding which residents fear could just be allocated to the out-of-town recreation ground.
Parents and children on the New Mills and the Deer Park Estates say the play areas on their estates are “desperately in need of investment” and that some of the money they believe the Town Council is bidding for for the Bye Street recreation ground would be “better spent” on upgrading the facilities on these two large residential areas.
Councillor Tony Bradford, who lives on the Deer Park Estate, told the Journal: “Children on this estate have approached me about the lack of play areas here and they have been so frustrated by it that they have gone door-to-door by themselves to get a petition signed, which I’ve passed on to the Town Council.”
The available funding is part of a Government initiative to facilitate outdoor play for children.
Cllr Bradford said: “I understood that around £48,000 would be the kind of figure allocated to Ledbury, although I think that’s gone down to £45,000 now.
“I am concerned that it will be solely spent on the recreation ground, which is away from where these children live.
“Their parents would prefer them to play near their homes. We already have a healthy budget for the rec every year so why do we need to spend more?”
This sentiment is echoed by Deer Park resident Julie Davies who’s 13-year-old son Callum Green instigated the petition with a friend.
She said: “I have two sons – an eight-year-old and a 13 year old – and there’s nothing on the estate for them.
“The older kids could do with something like a dry area to play football, not necessarily AstroTurf but something like it. My oldest son loves playing football with his friends and it makes sense for them to have somewhere where they are not in anyone’s way.
“The recreation ground is up the other end of town and the younger children are not able to go up there.
“All we have is one baby swing and a tiny slide – it’s not adequate. There should be something were they are safe and we know they are not getting into trouble.”
Former town councillor Martin Eager is equally frustrated by the lack of resources. He said: “The New Mills play areas have been allowed to go to wrack and ruin, the residents are unhappy and it’s totally unfair.
“There are about 700 houses on this estate and there is one climbing frame with a slide, some climbing rope and a kick-around area with a goalpost but no netting and an old netball post – it needs money spent on it much more than the recreation ground does.”
Town Clerk Karen Mitchell said her understanding was that to access the funding one site needed to be selected for the first year but that it could reapply for other sites in year two, which would be from April 2010 to April 2011.
“It’s early days yet, all we have done so far is advise Herefordshire Council that we intend to make an application for up to £45,000 funding.
“Nothing has been decided yet as to the details.”
