Can I use the playground of a council estate if we don't live there?

[Mummy1608]

Quick question...

I live right outside a really big council estate. (Eg I walk through it everyday as a shortcut to my local train station, that's how close I am and how big it is.) It's got a lovely playground in it with lots of cool climbing bits etc. Can I go there with my DD or do you think it's frowned on if I don't live there, because it's meant to be for residents? I can't find anywhere whether this isn't allowed, but it might be technically allowed but still frowned on? My next nearest playground is much smaller (although always empty) and a 15 min walk away.

Tldr can I take my dd to the council estate playground?

Coming from a council estate years ago with decent play areas , anyone played there wether you lived there pr not
Currently still in a ha house and no playground but large green and kids come from all around to play
Unless it has a sign up saying residents only then its for anyone
I take mine to playground on local mostly privately owned housing estate and thats fine too as its for anyone

frogswimming

I think people are arguing because they have a different understanding of exactly what some of the words used mean

Yes. Very much so.

The tenants would pay a service charge pm top of their rent for maintenance of the grounds and communal areas if it is on the estate

PP above said it's literally public property, so it's ok - Again in theory yes but the resident later pay to rent and maintenance on top of the same taxes that you pay

This is as I inderstand it, and the estates I knew while growing up in north london now have fences around them because entitled people regard their home as public property. And to protect residents and their property I assume.

However I really don't think it's an issue / I'm sure some of the children on the estate invite friends who do t live there to play it really depends. At the estates near us when growing up outsiders were not welcome at all. They were pretty grim places to live, terrible poverty, filth and urine on sttaircases and lifts and more privileged people coming to use the play area as a convenience would not be welcome.

OP I'd probably as someone in the play area if it is okay! It might be might not be,

@HadaVerde it is absolutely amazing you think it's me that doesn't get it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

THERE WERE 2 PARKS (PLAYGROUNDS) IN MY COUNCIL ESTATE!! INSIDE IT! IN IT. IN THE HOUSES. INSIDE. Anyone was still allowed to use it. ffs you are wrong!!!! Unless it is STATED!!! Jesus wept..I prefer talking to my 8 year old when we don't agree.

I understand the word communal, which in the OP refers to bins.

I also understand the words 'council estate park'.

I grew up on a council estate in East London, 15 different blocks of flats and in the centre a huge great park with a swing park. It was the best park in the area because EVERYONE played in it, no-one cared where you lived, all we were interested in was what game we were going to play next

you can actually be fined for putting household rubbish in a public litter bin

@alexdgr8 possibly where you and your mate live but actually not where I do. Especially when it's a bag of potato peelings, two egg shells and a crisp packet.

I've just asked my brother who lives on a large brand new estate. Some, if not all, of the housing is social housing. There is also a park/play area. They don't pay any service charge (unless it's included in the rent). The park is listed on their council website as a public play area.
As is the play park on the massive council estate (it was a council estate in the 90s) near where I grew up.

All the parks near me are really grotty and don't have adequate shade (I'm in a hot country) so I always take the kids to the parks in the nicer end of town.

It never occurred to me that some people might think I shouldn't be there! Surely parks/playgrounds are for everyone?

HadaVerde as I said a few posts back in my hometown ALL the parks/playareas/playparks are funded by council tax and maintained by the town council whether that particular park/playarea/playpark is plonked in the middle of an estate built as council houses or one built as private or mixed ones. Or not even in an housing estate at all.
They are PUBLIC PARKS. Not communal facilities just for residents.

@frogswimming

"The op is referring to a play area within a social housing estate.

Residents communal facilities…Not a public park.

Why don’t people get that they are not the same thing."

She didn't say that. That's just what you are picturing from your experience. She just said a playground beside some social housing. Not behind the same fence or enclosed within it. She never said it was residents communal facilities. You have just assumed that's what she meant.

Have you read all of the OPs posts?

Obviously not cos she said more than that.

@Legoisthebest

HadaVerde as I said a few posts back in my hometown ALL the parks/playareas/playparks are funded by council tax and maintained by the town council whether that particular park/playarea/playpark is plonked in the middle of an estate built as council houses or one built as private or mixed ones. Or not even in an housing estate at all. They are PUBLIC PARKS. Not communal facilities just for residents.

Ok. But do you accept that some play areas within social housing estates are for residents use only?

Cos we aren’t talking about where you live.

I lived in Spain for a year, in flats. See attached pic. The open area which I have indicated in red was between the blocks of flats and was where the kids hung out, played football, basketball, roller skated etc.

It was an open area ONLY for the people who lived in the buildings because only we could access it through our buildings. there was not another way in.

But ordinary parks in ordinary streets which anyone can wander into? They are a free for all. Last time we were in London my kids had a lovely play in a great park on the South Bank. I don't think Hada would approve.

[quote AllThingsServeTheBeam]@HadaVerde it is absolutely amazing you think it's me that doesn't get it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

THERE WERE 2 PARKS (PLAYGROUNDS) IN MY COUNCIL ESTATE!! INSIDE IT! IN IT. IN THE HOUSES. INSIDE. Anyone was still allowed to use it. ffs you are wrong!!!! Unless it is STATED!!! Jesus wept..I prefer talking to my 8 year old when we don't agree. [/quote]
But just because that happened at your estate doesn't mean hadaverde is wrong it means you are referring to different situations, or that no one cared in your estate. Did you pay extra for the facilities or were you told that they were for the general public as well as residents? What she has said applies to all the council estates I have known, in London, for sure. Also, and because this is MN, did you mean to be/have to be so rude?!

Even on private housing estates you can use the parks normally they get permission with the provision that they build a play area etc and none of them around here say only people who live and own the houses can use them
The residents may pay a maintenance charge as thats now common as the council don't adopt the roads etc , but it doesn't mean noone else can use the park , unless its a gated private development of which there are few of in the uk
A communual garden is very different thats only for use of the people who its assigned too
A park is used tp describe a playground as well , mine would always say can we go to the park never the playground , or the rec if using a village one as thats what that is known for
Plus most parks ( large green ones ) contain a playground anyway so it doesn't matter what you call it
Most people know what you mean

@TomsPrisonConsultant

Stuff paid for by the housing department for their housing residents is not paid for by the council tax pot. Why do people keep saying it is?! If you're doing this please can you point me to where you are getting your info from? I think lots of people here are making an assumption and asserting it as fact?!

i agree. there may be differing imaginings in people's minds, causing confusion. historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1113232 here is an example of what i mean by a housing estate. scroll down for pic. there are several like this. some have a small play area. it seems obvious to me that it is for the residents. and just as i would not linger on someone else's driveway, even if it is long, i would not cross through an estate unless necessary. i think it disrespect's the residents. it's their enclave.

@heffalitis well i grew up in council estates in london and have family that live in them none of them say for residents only , not one
And they are that big most wouldn't know who lived there or not as there is lots of blocks with a fair few playgrounds if its residents only it would have a sign

@HadaVerde: ‘Bins belong to individual householders.

Apart from the large communal ones on housing estates.

Which incidentally people would drive into and fill up with their crap too.

Funnily enough I got shouted out by a council resident for using one of the communal bins on a large London estate (only used it one time as we had a large bulky item of rubbish). We apologised and went home, but lo and behold found out later that as council tax payers who lived within the catchment of this communal bin we were allowed to use it! So not every large bin on an estate is ring-fenced for the residents only ...

@HadaVerde

Visiting friends who live there? Yes fine.

Using it cos it’s closer than another for public use playground? No of course it’s not ok.

I’m amazed people think this is ok.

I suspect it is for the use of everyone, unless it has an access code/key.

There are quite strict rules in whether things like playgrounds can be private use.

I live on a relative new estate, all privately owned houses. We have a playground on the site. All residents and house owners on the estate pay for the upkeep of the playground, as part of an annual charge. The playground has a fence and gate surrounding it, but the gate must be left unlocked at all times.

The playground still must be available for anyone to use. Access cannot be restricted to only residents/owners.

I suspect it's the same in

@alexdgr8 but many only get permission as they are putting in a playground for local use

@heffalitis 🤣🤣🤣 Yes I did. Did you see the first post @HadaVerde put? She is the only one that is right you know.

The estates around here are all mixed now anyway. But never ever ever ever in the existence in parks in council estates have they only been for council estate kids. Hope that clears that up for you

heffalitis

Thank you.

@HadaVerde

Visiting friends who live there? Yes fine.

Using it cos it’s closer than another for public use playground? No of course it’s not ok.

I’m amazed people think this is ok.

It's a council owned playground. Paid for out of council tax. Council tax that the op pays. Anyone can use public playgrounds. I'm amazed you think they can't!

@Bopping298 that would be very unusual as bins are for residents not tax payers , if everyone turned up and used the bins the would be overflowing
We had flats near us and people used to drive up and used the bins and it was considered fly tipping
And that would be case in many places, you can't use your neighbours bin just because you pay council tax
Bins are not the same as playgrounds

The council estate I used to live on had a playground within its communal grounds. A public road ran through the estate, the communal grounds were not fenced off, but the playground was for residents' use only. I wouldn't have minded non-residents using it though and nobody could tell who lived there and who didn't. I don't know why some posters think they are funded by council tax though. In our case we paid a service charge, separate from our rent for itemised services listed on our tenancy agreements as: upkeep and maintenance of communal areas inc bin stores, lifts, cleaning of communal areas, grass cutting, upkeep and maintenance of playground equipment. Playgrounds within public parks are funded directly from council funds but we tenants paid an additional service charge on top of council tax for our playground.