Residents opposed to play area plans
Published on 24th May 2007 in News
WHAT FUTURE? Residents fear the creation of a play area could bring anti-social behaviour to Shelford Avenue.
Howden town councillors agreed this week that an in-depth questionnaire should be drawn up in a bid to solve the dispute over the future of Shelford Avenue's play area.
Plans for the development of the play area were brought before Tuesday's council meeting, showing how the site, which was earmarked as a play area nearly 20 years ago but has been left undeveloped, is intended to look.
The town's new mayor, Cllr Hugh Roberts, told the meeting: "There has been concern from some residents that re-landscaping the site as a low maintenance, low profile play area would increase problems. Currently, the land is grassed and being used for ball games and dog walking.
"The idea of the development was to create a small area for toddlers with springy animals, a slide, a pathway from the fence down to the far end of the site and a seating area that looks out to North Howden."
But residents have been opposed to the development of the site, fearing that a play area could increase levels of anti-social behaviour, and a member of the public brought along the results of a questionnaire, filled in by nine residents, to Tuesday's council meeting.
The resident said: "There aren't a sufficient number of parents with toddlers in the area, and people would prefer to walk around to the Ashes and use the facilities there.
"Many residents are concerned about vandalism and the potential for anti-social behaviour. The gate which leads onto the grassed area is constantly being broken."
The resident added that the results of the questionnaire showed that those interviewed chose three preferable options - leave the land as it is and allocate the funds set aside for its development elsewhere, sell the land and use the funds elsewhere, or create a 'wild flower' area with a pathway going through the site, but with no benches or play equipment.
Cllr Susan Chapman said: "I think we have tried to put a gloss on something that residents do not want. There are very few children of that age in the area and there are elderly people who are very nervous about it."
Cllr Chapman added that she had sought legal advice and found that the Town Council would be in breach of the Human Rights Act if it went ahead with the development of a play area when all residents were against it.
But Cllr Robin Drury told the council: "Whenever we want to do anything with children's amenities, people's shutters go up with the fear of what will happen, but if we leave the land as it is, it will become a dog toilet.
"If we can create a quiet play area for toddlers, then it will tidy the place up."
Councillors agreed to pass the issue to its amenities committee to draw up a more detailed questionnaire, to be completed by a larger number of residents in the North Howden area, for consideration.
"Let's re-visit this and work through it to improve the area generally for everybody," said Cllr Roberts.