A lot of playgrounds will not re-open on 4th July

[Missmidden]

I am a member of my local parish council and have spent much of the last few days arguing with my fellow councillors over the government guidance for the re-opening of playgrounds. However I have just lost the battle and our village playground will remain shut, which I am very unhappy about. My understanding is that many other parish and town council run playgrounds will take the same approach.

The reason for this is that the guidance is complex and vague, but when read by cautious people has been interpreted as unworkable. For example, it requires frequent sanitation of all touch areas which, for a small playground with no paid staff is not possible.

For reference, our parish council has responsibility for various allotments, park and roadside benches and gates crossing footpaths. There has been no guidance that these need regular cleaning despite being obvious "touch points". So it seems that children lose out once again from overly onerous guidance.

When the government announced that playgrounds were to open there was no mention of the guidance stopping this for many, so I fully expect there to be a great deal of anger when this news gets out, quite possibly directed at parish councillors like myself.

My request is for anyone who cares about this to e-mail your MP, local councils and anyone else to make your feelings known. I have done my best locally and contacted my own MP, but believe we need more noise about this nationally if there is any chance of the guidance being changed so that playgrounds can re-open as soon as possible.

I’m in scotland. All our playgrounds opened today. I highly doubt the council will be cleaning anything (never do normally!) FB post from my two nearest councils just stated reopen and maintain social distance and hygiene. Which I assume meant stay away from others and take hand gel for hands (and don’t let your kid lick the slide).

Unless a manned park who is going to provide this frequent cleaning?!

As an aside none of the parks near me nor any I’m aware of we’re physically locked or had tape put up. I think most maybe had signage added but not lots.

No wag I’d be letting my DD nead a playground at the moment, it just isnt necessary imo.

I will be going next week anyway, armed with a cloth and a bottle of dettol and will wipe the blasted things down myself!

^^well this is it. You don’t need a council official do you? 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Teateaandmoretea

I will be going next week anyway, armed with a cloth and a bottle of dettol and will wipe the blasted things down myself!

^^well this is it. You don’t need a council official do you? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Exactly - it hadn’t crossed my mind that the council would take responsibility for cleaning all playgrounds. I will happily ensure that my kids wash their hands and personally I’m happy that there is a very minimal risk compared to the rest of life.

Is there any evidence that anyone has ever caught covid from a "surface"?

I know it's theoretically possible but to actually happen, the virus needs to be present in sufficient quantity and quality to be viable, the child has to touch the right spot and then transfer it to they eyes/mouth before handwashing/sanitizing.

I understand why, in the face of this advice, councils would be cautious but the advice is ridiculous. We know outdoors, risk is very much reduced.

Quite- the guidance talks about frequent cleaning but no parent happy to use playgrounds (and of course no one has to go if they don’t want to!) would expect cleaning. No one expects gates on footpaths to be cleaned- if you’re worried you wipe stuff down yourself and/or clean your hands.

Did you see the LGC article on this? It is unworkable. Better to open them and just make parents aware that they obviously won't be sanitised between uses and to wash hands than to pretend anything otherwise was possible!

I think this has been a huge government policy all along.

+Announce something is 'reopening' on an arbitrary date approximately 12 days from now. Trumpet it from the hills in an overcomplicated reannouncement a number of times in a speech.

+Don't give any details in the announcement but assure that guidance 'will be along shortly'.

+46 hours later publish said guidance. Said guidance is longer and with more caveats than any legal terms and conditions' document no one reads on a website.

+Change said guidance a number of times.

+Said guidance is completely unrealistic, unworkable and fails to pass any responsibilty of the risk to a member of the public what so ever. E.g. in this case- having signs to remind a parent to stand 2m apart when pushing their children on a swing.

+Update said guidance a number of times.

+Whoever needs to implement said guidance feels completely overwhelmed, cannot see a way of it working and most importantly, whilst guidance is largely advisory they could be held responsible if someone catches Covid because they did/didn't do something

+Update guidance again.

*Governement says about 2-3 weeks later, 'Oh but we never said you had to, it was just advisory....'

It's all done so that the Government can't be held responsible, but others can. Terms like Covid safe/Covid secure don't help, life is not Covid safe or secure.

I'm a nanny.
Enough enough.
We will be going to parks.
We will take bleach wipes and clean before and after any surfaces touched with hands.

Mine are too old for playgrounds, but we'd have been climbing fences for weeks now if they were little.

Our parish council have announced they will not be opening our local parks for the foreseeable either. We are so disappointed. I will definitely write to our local MP.

The extent to which people are trying to completely eliminate all elements of risk from their lives is so worrying. It seems all sense of perspective has been lost.

We have a skatepark. A relatively old one on its last legs. Its been open since the government said it could, a couple of weeks ago. But the playgrounds are closed. So my 6 year old has been ninja warrioring the skate park while his older brother is on his scooter. I think the playground will be a lot safer!

Just because you think it’s ok does not make it so. As a member of a PC myself ours are remaining closed for a number of reasons mainly because the guidance is unworkable. They are suggesting cleaning equipment, but how often, and how, and by who at what cost? one adult per family, how will that be managed? A queue system for play equipment if lots wish to use it, how will that be worked, how will SD be adhered to at 2m, or 1m plus if there are mitigation’s, sanitisers to be provided if possible, no food to be eaten at the play area, children to wash hands etc.at a horrendous cost most PCs could not afford. We need to be aware of insurance cover, no doubt some idiots would sue if they got it. Yes signs can go up, but is that enough?

Further clarifying guidance is being sought now and people up on high are working on it

Personally I think the Government should just have said open them at users risk rather than putting the responsibility onto PCs and charities that run the areas

In the meantime the equipment is unlikely to have been tested ( which happens on a weekly basis mainly) and annual play inspections will not have happened so if people break into the areas or use the equipment if taped off then any accident etc will be their responsibility and you won’t be able to claim off insurance for any accidents

We are in uncharted territory, and it’s not as simple as you think it is

I don't see why the council can't just put a sign on the gate saying that it is the parents' responsibility to wipe down the equipment after use. They then absolve themselves of any responsibility for the outcome.

It's a disgrace if all playgrounds can't open. Children have been absolutely let down throughout this whole shit show.

MisMidden
SLCC and NALC and the LGA are all up in arms about the utter insanity of these regulations
they have been designed by people who have clearly never taken a child to a playground

people will use the equipment without it being checked

this is APPALLING government - PLEASE contact your MP to make them realise that they are accountable

I'm in Scotland. Councils have put up signs saying playgrounds are open but (and they vary between councils) also to remember to wash or sanitize your hands before and after use and not crowd onto equipment, and sometimes remind people to take litter home.

My parish council playground is reopening on July 4th.

We've made posters with symbols for hand gel, 2m distance, and no food or drink.
We'll also publicise it, and explain further, on the local FB page.

I'm expecting a huge backlash though. Many parents won't want their children to use it, and will be angry that their child will see other people on it.

It doesn't make money, so no one is pressuring for it to open.

I bet uv from the sun will help break down the virus on playground surfaces too. That along with hand sanitising should help keep people safe

Picklemywalnuts thanks, that is great to know and what I was hoping my PC would agree to.

Our “we’re not opening” signs will go up tomorrow, I believe, and I think the backlash will be huge to that! The village school has opened to all the year groups it can fit in and take up has been very high, so maybe we have a more risk-savvy population?

Tbh, I've been taking my two pre-schoolers to the playground for a couple of weeks now even though it's still closed. Plenty of families have actually. We've had enough - our kids were going loopy without enough outdoor activity and stimulation.

This was completely predictable sadly. And the same for many other free and low cost activities for children. They cost money, it costs more money to implement safety guidance (much of which is unnecessary IMO), so local and parish councils won’t be able to do it. Small children and their parents aren’t going to be welcome anywhere for a long time because they are a huge inconvenience

Completely predictable and utter utter bollocks.

I shall be cutting a hole in the fence to our village one.

Before anyone shouts it's a fence on my farm owned and maintained by me.

I may even surreptitiously pop in of a night time with the topper and getting rid of the grass as that's clearly another of their strategies.

There are 4 families in our village. There's no reason on gods earth that our playground should not be open.

The I'll write to the mayor, the MP and anyone else I can think of.

This is barmy. Absolutely barmy. Fucking pubs open and kids can't have a run around in fresh air during the summer. Fuck off. This makes me so angry.

By the way well done you for being on the Pc. I think you'll be in for a flak as will others. I appreciate its not theirs or your fault and I don't.l mean it personally.

I don't have littles anymore but I really feel for you all who do

I don't blame any of you whom are saying you will go into the playground regardless . Children have put up with more than many have endured in at least the last 3 or 4 generations . Must be especially difficult for those without garden space.

I’m pleased that many feel as strongly as I do about this

Whilst I can’t do it myself (would be slung off the PC I think!) is anyone brave enough to splash the news on their local FB pages? I don’t think many people are aware of this yet but the more that know the more chance of getting the guidance changed, I hope.