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Original poster

Our council isn’t opening playgrounds

88 replies

Thewheelsonthebus23 · 06/07/2020 14:31

But the neighbouring council are.

I’ve just had an email response from our council and I’m so angry.
Why on earth aren’t playgrounds allowed to re-open but indoor places like pubs are? Oh and theme parks are also allowed to open! None of it makes any sense to me.
I’m thinking of writing to my MP although it probably won’t make any difference.
We went to the neighbouring town today becatse we knew they’d be open and they were.

OP posts:
Nousernameforme · 06/07/2020 18:38

I've looked and ours don't say closed so we are off there tomorrow. I know people have been in them already during lockdown so they aren't all locked up.

We will take hand sanitiser with us and stay away from the other kids.

Hercwasonaroll · 06/07/2020 18:57

@Davodia Then how come some councils are literally just putting up a sign and getting on with it?

It's like schools all over again. The guidance is full of "where practicable" and words like "regular" with no definitions. So some schools went OTT and some went with the spirit of the guidance.

If I lived in an area the councils hadn't opened, I'd jump the fence.

Cleaning is a misnomer anyway, you can't clean between children so the second the equipment is used after cleaning it becomes potentially infectious. Evidence seems to show it doesn't survive brilliantly on outdoor surfaces anyway.

MRex · 06/07/2020 19:14

Some bigger councils can afford to spend money on safety measures for playgrounds
Not here. I mean, they could, but in real life we're clearing up McDonald's litter left by teenagers overnight into the bins because everyone's too scared to say a word to the council about basic hygiene in case they shut the playgrounds again.
Yes, we used hand gel afterwards.

Davodia · 06/07/2020 21:34

Then how come some councils are literally just putting up a sign and getting on with it?
They’re taking a risk. Imo bigger councils with paid employees and legal cover are more likely to take that risk. Smaller parish councils staffed by volunteers are just noping out.

Hercwasonaroll · 06/07/2020 21:41

Ah my experience is opposite, our local parks are managed by volunteers and they're all back open. Perhaps it depends on the demographic of Councillor.

CloudyGladys · 06/07/2020 22:01

If you are in a village, it will be the parish council's responsibility. "They" are volunteers, meet perhaps monthly and have to go through procedures like getting three quotes for new contracts or proper recruitment procedures to employ someone themselves.

Why don't you suggest that the equipment is opened for an hour a day and set up a rota of parents to clean the surfaces afterwards?

Sailingblue · 06/07/2020 22:37

‘Then how come some councils are literally just putting up a sign and getting on with it?’

That’s exactly what mine has done. There has to be an element of pragmatism somewhere. The guidelines were prohibitive. I’m angry that children age being denied play in some areas- the risk to them of not having a chance to play properly are much greater.

katienana · 06/07/2020 22:54

Ours are not officially open but I was in one today and it was being used. There was fabric tape obstructing a wooden climbing structure so I might have untied it...it was actually causing a safety hazard as kids were on it anyway.
My kids have not been to school since March. Let them on the fucking slide
In the same park it was possible to buy a pint of beer...I'm all for it but open the sodding playground

RedRumTheHorse · 07/07/2020 07:01

All the council parks I go to in my area have a friends of that park society. I have seen what looks like local people randomly litter picking so I suspect some of the cleaning of the playgrounds is being done by them.

Incidentally one park has a pub that has toilets for public use. The pub is not open but the playground is.

mightybuzz · 07/07/2020 09:07

@10storeylovesong please tell me which ones! I know Peel Park and Longford Park play areas are open. Salford and Trafford councils respectively I think. It all just seems utterly random, just want to know where I can take my DS since our local park is out.

TooGood2BeTrue · 07/07/2020 09:24

I'm not sure if ours are open now or not. Going to find out this afternoon. If they are still closed, I think we are just going to ignore it from now on. Fed up with how kids have been treated since March - no school, no outdoor play, no swimming, no library, many museums still closed, - whilst garden centres, golf courses, pubs and Primark have been allowed to operate for ages.

commentatorz · 07/07/2020 09:30

no council will be cleaning parks several times a day, it's just that the can-do councils crack on and let people use them, and the can-do ones hide behind fake safety regulations to keep them shut

commentatorz · 07/07/2020 09:30

can't do ones hide... it should say

picklemewalnuts · 07/07/2020 09:39

Try no to be too angry with councils that are closed. We opened ours but feel at some risk doing so. However feel the pros outweigh the cons.

It's really easy to read the guidance and feel that the expectations can't be met.

Pubs have paid staff to supervise social distancing and clean.
We don't.

The gov guidance has been written at every point to shift responsibility down the line. No clarity or accountability at all.

mightybuzz · 07/07/2020 09:46

@TooGood2BeTrue

I'm not sure if ours are open now or not. Going to find out this afternoon. If they are still closed, I think we are just going to ignore it from now on. Fed up with how kids have been treated since March - no school, no outdoor play, no swimming, no library, many museums still closed, - whilst garden centres, golf courses, pubs and Primark have been allowed to operate for ages.
Completely agree. It's not because some activities are 'safer', that is utter nonsense, it's just about which things are being prioritised first. Especially things for the littlest ones are closed. Money making operations can open - mini golf, treetop adventures, etc - completely unsuitable for under fives.
Davodia · 07/07/2020 09:53

The gov guidance has been written at every point to shift responsibility down the line
Yep. They’ve made recommendations that councils can’t possibly follow, then the councils are to blame for not following them. Our parish council volunteers expected to have support from paid county council employees, but they’ve just said sorry, not our problem, we can’t spare the financial resources to help you navigate this. So we’re left with a group of five volunteers who all work full time and have families to look after, being expected to interpret legislation and conduct risk assessments with no support, design posters and get them printed, negotiate with the insurance company and implement other measures, with no additional budget to pay for any of it and no meetings allowed to even discuss the matter.

HathorX · 07/07/2020 09:55

It's nonsense. For months, no one has been cleaning the metal benches in our park, children and old people sit on the ine outside the play area ALL the time. There is no booking system for the bench. No steward. No warning sign or tape. No regular cleaning schedule.
Lok

Yet a child can't sit on a swing without it being cleaned? It is so illogical.

Point out to your council that nearly every other council is opening up their playgrounds, and obliging people to travel to neighbouring towns simply risks those parks being overcrowded and spreading disease becomes a greater risk.

picklemewalnuts · 07/07/2020 09:55

Exactly Davodia.
Same here.

10storeylovesong · 07/07/2020 10:01

@mightybuzz Pennington Flash is open (Lowton). The second was a tiny one in my friends housing estate! Not sure where abouts in Greater Manchester you are, but Haigh Hall in Wigan is opening on Wednesday.

Flev · 07/07/2020 10:12

Our council is apparently going to open playgrounds over a 2 week period from july 13th. So basically from when schools finish, this removing our option to take our toddler to play in a quieter period during a weekday. I am annoyed beyond belief. My little one has spent over a fifth of her life in lockdown, and before lockdown couldn't walk well enough to do anything except sit on a swing or be lifted onto a slide, but she loved doing those things. Now she is climbing on everything, but we still wait and wait to be able to take her to play safely.

Knowing our luck the idiots failing to distance in pubs will cause a second wave just when the playgrounds are due to open and we will be waiting even longer.

mightybuzz · 07/07/2020 10:25

@Flev you might find that you see people with children in your local playground anyway - in which case I suggest you just take your toddler in. We have been doing the same. Most parents are absolutely fed up. Playgrounds are my DS's favourite thing and he's spent about 10% of his life now being banned from them!

Flev · 07/07/2020 10:38

@mightybuzz we did see people in our local playground on Sunday and were very tempted to join them - but there has been a witch hunt on local social media since so I now feel too scared to. 😰

mightybuzz · 07/07/2020 10:45

@Flev we've had some busybody types on social media as well - it depends on how bad the witch hunt was I guess! At the end of the day what's going to happen? I doubt they are going to send the police round day after day Grin if at all

SuperSange · 07/07/2020 10:49

Our parish has opened the parks. They've put signs up saying you use them at your own risk, which I think is fine?

SimonJT · 07/07/2020 10:52

Our council is in the process of opening playgrounds but refuse to give an approximate date. Instead families are still using them but you see mums and dads spray equipment and then waiting a few minutes before using it.