Issue - meetings

To receive a 3 year review from the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) of the Play Area Safety Inspection Policy presented by the Group Manager for Corporate Policy and Commercial Assets

The Group had before it a *report from the Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets regarding the Play Area Risk Assessment and Safety Inspection review.

He explained the content of the report and informed the Group that this was the risk assessment process and that the Council had a duty of care to inspect all of its play areas. He stated that the areas with the highest risk required more frequent inspections.

He confirmed that the report was recommending that the number of weekend inspections be reduced but stated that there would be more robust inspections on Fridays immediately preceding a bank holiday.

Members complimented officers on the safety record of the play areas and the frequency of bin emptying on the sites. Members thanked officers for ensuring that the Westexe Paddling Pool had been re-opened for the summer.

It was therefore RECOMMENDED to the Cabinet that the following be NOTED:

1.    That the current risk assessments and proposed reduction in safety inspections were considered adequate to meet the Council’s responsibilities and for individual pieces of play equipment to be identified on the Risk Assessment Forms

2.    That digital transformation of the current inspection methods would make the task more efficient and that the implementation of a process would be expedited

(Proposed by Cllr E J Berry and seconded by Cllr D R Coren)

Note:

Cllr B G J Warren declared personal interest as he was the Chairman of Willand Parish Council who used MDDC to carry out safety inspections on its play areas.

*Report previously circulated and attached to the minutes