Agenda item

Consideration was given to report of the Team Manager Street Scene.

The Team Manager presented the report which provided an update on children’s play area sites and sought Members’ endorsement of the current work programme for the installation of play equipment into sites, in line with the priorities identified as part of the detailed play area review undertaken and reported to Council in December 2018.

The Officer spoke to the report and highlighted points contained therein.  He said the report outlined the rationale for the installation of new children’s play equipment purchased following funding received from Welsh Government through the All Wales Play Opportunities Grant.  This funding was initially allocated for the creation of a splash park facility at the Festival Park site, however, on the basis that the owners of Festival Park were no longer in a position to take the project forward, a decision was taken under delegated authority to reallocate the funding, as the Council had to advise Welsh Government how the funds would be utilised by the end of March 2020, or the funding would be withdrawn.

Appendix 1 of the report identified play area sites where the purchased equipment would be installed, together with a future rolling programme for any further funding should it become available in the future.

The Officer concluded that Parc Bryn Bach had recently benefitted from new Welsh Government grant funding through the Valleys Regional Parks as part of the Discovery Gateway Project, and a new £185k visitor attraction (play facility) had been installed at the Park and was recently opened to the public following the COVID lockdown period, and had been very well received by visitors to the Park.

A Member expressed concern that the decision was taken under delegated authority.  She referred to previous meetings where Members had requested Officers to enter into further discussions with Aneurin Leisure Trust regarding the possibility of the splash park facility at Parc Bryn Bach.  However, the Member said she welcomed the investment at Duffryn Park, but would have liked engagement with children in the community on the type of play equipment they would have liked installed at the Park.

The Officer said the funding available for the splash park was £110k, however, costings for the installation etc. was in the region of £250k and ALT felt that the project was not financially viable.   In terms of engagement with the community, he agreed that this was always the best way to progress, however, on this occasion the deadline to spend the funding by 31^st March was extremely restricted, but he assured that engagement would be undertaken moving forward.

In response to a question raised by a Member, the Officer confirmed that the £110k had already been received by the Council in 2017/18 for a splash park facility.  This was about repurposing the funding in line with the priorities identified under the Council’s agreed play area review.

Another Member said he welcomed the investment on many of the Borough’s play areas, but unfortunately some would be closed.  However, in the future, and hopefully with new housing developments being undertaken in the Borough the provision of play facilities will increase to match the demand that new developments would bring.

In terms of consultation a Member said he hoped that appropriate consultation would be undertaken prior to any closure of facilities being undertaken.  He said some of the planned closures would mean that children would have to cross busy main roads, and this needed to be looked at.

The Chair confirmed that discussions with local Ward Members would be undertaken.

The Officer referred Members to the extensive consultation undertaken as part of the play area review that was reported to Council in 2018 and indicated all children’s play areas in Blaenau Gwent, and those at risk of closure at that point in time.  He said the recommendation was that when the lifespan of those play areas at risk came to an end, further discussions would be held with local Members.

A brief discussion ensued when a Member said she had previously raised safety concerns regarding the potential closure of Glanystruth and Maeshafod play areas, as children would have to cross a very busy main road.  A Member said he agreed that children’s safety was paramount, but pointed out that parents were responsible for the safety of children visiting play areas.

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report be accepted, and Members endorsed the current work programme for the installation of the already purchased play equipment into the sites identified at 2.14 of the report, and supported further dialogue at Ward level in respect of the future of children’s play areas as listed in 2.16 of the report, in line with the “Play Area Review” undertaken in December 2018 (Option 1).