End of new playgrounds!

[Loujalou]

The government are stopping the building of playgrounds under the Playbuilder.

Am probably more gutted than most as they were supposed to be building one down my road and it was going to be ace. Probably will be scrapped now.

it's very sad :(
I'm really lucky that our local playground was built 2 years ago and is fantastic. however the one in the town centre is just awful. I've been going there since I met DH and we'd take his kids there - even back then, 7 years ago, it was dreadful, and it hasn't had any work done on it! some bits are a bit hazardous :(

:(

I was really saddened too. Surely its not a waste of money and kids will become more active and not sit in front of the TV so much if there is stuff to entertain them.

Presumably Cam and co think any parents who are so feckless they can't afford to buy a country estate and employ these super local artisans to hand-craft an adventure playground don't deserve to have anywhere for their children to play. AND it'll be all their own fault when their kids grow up to be obese. Honestly, people today, expecting the state to do everything, they'll be demanding free education and healthcare next.

My uncle who does lots of sports activities for teenagers is expecting to lose a lot of work even though his programmes have reduced crime significantly and have won awards from the local police.

The amount of money involved is relatively so small. Such a short sighted decision.

The more I think about the sadder / more pissed off it makes me.

Well, if those reckless toddlers hadn't gambled all the country's money away and used government funds to bail them out whilst recording record profits, then... Oh. Sorry. Got confused.

Lou - it is crap, but if you get together and form a group (or presumably there is a group formed with the playbuilder scheme) then there are lots of other funding programmes you can go for. Highly recommend looking at the Big lottery fund website as a starter. so don't give up on your local one!

well something has to give

If there was enough money for everything then it would all be great.

But there isn't.

Just spent the day at the Princess Diana playground in Kensington. Absolutely full of children doing exactly what they should - running about, getting exercise, learnign to play together. So we just need an early death of a celeb in each town and the money will come pouring in to build the facilities that we need :(

HC - I think its the cutting of schemes that are actually close to completion that makes it all so bitter. If Schemes were closed to newcomers then that's one thing but whole communities now feel that the government doesn't give a stuff about them with the withdrawal of play areas and school rebuilds.

Build your own! That's what we did in our village. We had no playground or any facilities at all for children. We got grant money from Awards for All, which is still available, and from other sources. It's not that hard to apply and it's not that hard to form a group to manage the playground once it's built.

but there isn't any money

it is not the case that people don't care about communities, there isn't any money left.

getting deeper into debt to pay for non-essential things (I am a parent and primary school teacher too, so not underestimating the importance of playgrounds and new schools) when essential services are also facing cuts is just foolish

BooKanga We're stuffed here, there is not a celeb for miles.

Get to know a Tory MP or two: amazing how qquickly the decision to cancel builds back home was overturned when theor Torry one-of-the-boys MP cried foul

No long terrm thinkiong agaon. Pull the services that save cash for eg the NHS in the long term eh?

then flog the parks to development agents?

Tether I loved your comment so much I ahve bastardised it for my facebook - apologies!

I expect all tory MPs are delighted that children now have no parks to play in

honestly, of course cuts are awful

if we didn't have a budget deficit then the cuts wouldn't be so bad, but we do. So they are.

If that refers to em then I never said that did I?

And eys cuts hurt but betetr targetted ones hurt less; a lot of what is being cut hits the most vulnerable and long term money saving aspects such as health.

Back home a school rebuld was announced then cut then restarted agaion X 3; google it, bridgwater.

Now I strongly suspect a Tory MP who is generally popular with a strong majority has more of a call with the Minster than my labour one (albeit a bigger majority).

And the playing fields back home years ago were part of the planned Tory sell off for redevelopment.

Ut happened 9the plan, moved away so don;t know if it did or not, although almost everyone I know still there).

As Edam says they have no manadte for any of this ebcuase it wasn't anounced, and much was even denied, pre elecxtion. I did vote for a coalition party and never would again.

There's just been a lot of new thi gs in the playground in our village. I think it was through a lottery grant so not sure if it would have been affected by this or not.

Horrible if there are playgrounds meant to be being built that aren't now :(

it wasn't particularly to you SanctiMoanyArse, just to the tone of the thread in general.

The whole cuts debate gets to me, I own a business that is looking at a massive reduction in income due to cuts. I still realise that they are necessary in order to save the economy.

What do you suggest gets cut? New playgrounds are not essential. New build schools are not going to happen if there is no money.

I worked in a school that was put up as a temporary building in the fifties. It was awful and needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible. But if there is no money to do it then there is no money.

Have name changed for this as am not outing myself on mumnet but I'm involved with the campaign to overturn the decision - see www.savetheplayground.co.uk to email David Cameron and his ministers on this and www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134032956633446 to join the facebook group in support of playbuilder.

I know, I know - there are more important things than playgrounds. But they are important, and we shouldn't just led this slide (geddit) because there are other, worse cuts.

I know there are many more important things than playgrounds. But then maybe kids shouldn't be hit but the banks (I used to work for one that was nationalised) could have been punished more.

Blimey.

See this is what voting tory did for us, guys.

I did tell you they were total bastards but nobody listened...

I never voted for them. But did vote Lib - the mistake I won't make again.