Parents fear children will be hurt at new £400,000 play area where youngsters could 'fall through the huge gaps'
- last year
Parents fear children will be seriously hurt at a new £400,000 “danger zone” play area - where youngsters could 'fall through the huge gaps'.
The play zone reopened in September following two months of building work saw it pumped with hundreds of thousands of pounds in renovation cash.
New equipment and an outdoor gym were installed, but parents say the construction is too dangerous for children to enjoy.
Residents called for urgent change before a child is injured on Central Park, Ashford, Kent.
Andrew Stott, a dad who lives in the surrounding Park Farm area, believes kids should not be allowed to play on the site.
The 36-year-old father fears they will fall through “huge gaps” in the bridge built as a part of Ashford Borough Council's £1.1 million "play regeneration project."
Construction worker Mr Stott added the segments of the slide are poorly connected and the floor is too hard.
The father-of-three, with two step-children and a daughter, wants netting beneath the bridge and for constructors to close the gaps between the stepping platforms on the bridge.
Another parent said signs could be erected to state the equipment should only be used by older children.
After posting on Facebook Mr Stott received a positive response from fellow-concerned parents.
A parent responding to Mr Stott’s post said they only let their children play on the site if they’re careful.
"I’m glad someone else thinks it’s a danger zone.
"It’s beautiful, yes, and most of the bits are cool, but there needs to be some casing I think to the bridge, and that big slide that’s just been turned to face the other way is a death trap," they wrote.
"Personal opinion, I don’t wrap my older two in cotton wool and they’ve gone up there many times now - I just tell them to focus but wouldn’t let the other two near it.”
Play areas in other nearby towns have also been improved, the council said.
Ashford Borough Council said the Central Park play area was designed to meet the appropriate European safety standards for play equipment and surfacing.
A spokesman said: "The company that produces and installs the equipment is one of the leading providers of this type of equipment in the country.
"Both the company’s work and the actual equipment were inspected by an independent qualified register of play inspectors international inspector prior to it being opened to the general public.
"The inspector confirmed the equipment has been installed to the correct standards and certified as low risk.
"Our in-house grounds maintenance team will continue to regularly inspect the equipment to make sure it remains in good condition and will report and/or rectify any defects which may arise.
"As the play area has been assessed and approved by an independent specialist, it has been installed as per the manufacturer’s instructions and our grounds maintenance team inspect the equipment on a weekly basis for any required repairs, we do not believe there is a need to revise the design of this play area."
The play zone reopened in September following two months of building work saw it pumped with hundreds of thousands of pounds in renovation cash.
New equipment and an outdoor gym were installed, but parents say the construction is too dangerous for children to enjoy.
Residents called for urgent change before a child is injured on Central Park, Ashford, Kent.
Andrew Stott, a dad who lives in the surrounding Park Farm area, believes kids should not be allowed to play on the site.
The 36-year-old father fears they will fall through “huge gaps” in the bridge built as a part of Ashford Borough Council's £1.1 million "play regeneration project."
Construction worker Mr Stott added the segments of the slide are poorly connected and the floor is too hard.
The father-of-three, with two step-children and a daughter, wants netting beneath the bridge and for constructors to close the gaps between the stepping platforms on the bridge.
Another parent said signs could be erected to state the equipment should only be used by older children.
After posting on Facebook Mr Stott received a positive response from fellow-concerned parents.
A parent responding to Mr Stott’s post said they only let their children play on the site if they’re careful.
"I’m glad someone else thinks it’s a danger zone.
"It’s beautiful, yes, and most of the bits are cool, but there needs to be some casing I think to the bridge, and that big slide that’s just been turned to face the other way is a death trap," they wrote.
"Personal opinion, I don’t wrap my older two in cotton wool and they’ve gone up there many times now - I just tell them to focus but wouldn’t let the other two near it.”
Play areas in other nearby towns have also been improved, the council said.
Ashford Borough Council said the Central Park play area was designed to meet the appropriate European safety standards for play equipment and surfacing.
A spokesman said: "The company that produces and installs the equipment is one of the leading providers of this type of equipment in the country.
"Both the company’s work and the actual equipment were inspected by an independent qualified register of play inspectors international inspector prior to it being opened to the general public.
"The inspector confirmed the equipment has been installed to the correct standards and certified as low risk.
"Our in-house grounds maintenance team will continue to regularly inspect the equipment to make sure it remains in good condition and will report and/or rectify any defects which may arise.
"As the play area has been assessed and approved by an independent specialist, it has been installed as per the manufacturer’s instructions and our grounds maintenance team inspect the equipment on a weekly basis for any required repairs, we do not believe there is a need to revise the design of this play area."