The following Motions have been forwarded from Council to the Policy Development Group for consideration.
Motion 537 (Cllr Mrs N Woollatt – 25 May 2017)
That this council should adopt a policy of ensuring that play areas in the district that contain play equipment aimed at pre-school or primary school age children are enclosed to facilitate the health and safety of its young users.
Please note: Having considered the above Motion the Policy Development Group are asked to consider whether this Motion should either be supported or rejected. This decision will be referred back to full Council on 30 August 2017.
Motion 538 (Cllr Mrs J Roach – 1 June 2017)
Mid Devon District Council is concerned that the present level of grass cutting across the district is the subject of much criticism.
The Mid Devon District Council therefore resolves to urgently review;
1. Whether the budget is sufficient and if it isn't to put forward a request to Council for a supplementary budget to meet the cost of providing an effective service.
2. If it is impossible to provide extra funding the the Council should consider asset transfers to Parish Councils and/or individuals.
Taxpayers are now facing the second year of a grass cutting regime which leaves the grass uncut for long periods.
Please note: Having considered the above Motion the Policy Development Group are asked to consider whether this Motion should either be supported or rejected. This decision will be referred back to full Council on 30 August 2017.
Minutes:
The following Motion had been forwarded to PDG for consideration:
Motion 537 (Cllr Mrs N Woollatt – 25 May 2017)
That this council should adopt a policy of ensuring that play areas in the district that contain play equipment aimed at pre-school or primary school age children are enclosed to facilitate the health and safety of its young users.
Cllr Mrs Woollatt said ‘this Motion came about following the removal, in my ward, of two sides of a play area, leaving the area with equipment for primary age and under children no longer enclosed. Officers stated that they removed the fence because it was no longer safe and was beyond repair (it was a wooden post and chain link type fence). Officers told residents who complained that it would not be replaced as it was policy to open up play areas.
There is in fact currently no policy in place to such effect but as I discovered from talking to officers there is a proposal at item 7 on this agenda. However, you are not being asked to make a decision, just discuss, so even after your discussion of the 10 year plan there will still be no policy.
As officers seem to already be working in line with the principles suggested in the 10 year plan I think it is important that we give direction as to what we as a Council wish to see in relation to this particular issue.
I have received numerous complaints about the removal of the fencing at Culm Lea. There have been reports of dog fouling and people exercising their dogs in the play area which is not fair to the children using the area. Ball games are now a problem as children can be a nuisance in their own play area when their ball runs into the front gardens of adjacent housing, probably a matter of time before it’s a window.
This play area is a short dash to the busy A373 and in the other direction access to the gate through to an open space containing the river Culm, known locally as Highbanks. It is aptly named. Which child do you look after if you have two and they go in different directions? What happens whilst your back is turned when one child falls off the swing and has your attention? We all know what mischief little ones can get up to when our back is turned, at least in an enclosed play area they are safe. Some people have stopped using this play area because it is no longer enclosed.
The Play England report suggests increasing play value by opening up play areas in suitable locations. Whilst that may be true for older children who need less supervision, for younger children such play areas result in less freedom for them as carers will need to more carefully supervise them. Carers, parents and grandparents cannot relax as they need to remain hypervigilant.
Sadly it is clear from the report at item 7 that the motives behind the proposal not to replace fencing which has come to the end of its life is more about money than improving play value. Is it acceptable to compromise the safety of our young children to manage budgets? For that reason and the other problems which have occurred following this approach at Culm Lea I consider any play area containing equipment for pre-school and primary age children should be enclosed, I therefore ask the Committee to support my motion and recommend to the Council that the policy I propose is adopted. I have received emails of support from Sampford Peverell Parish Council and residents from Willand.”
Discussion took place regarding:
· Other play areas in the District that were not fenced;
· The differing requirements depending on the age of the children using the play area;
· Whether or not it was appropriate to consider fencing areas not currently fenced or whether it would be better to propose that existing areas with fencing were kept and new play areas were fenced;
· Section 106 monies that were in place to bring forward design for the Culm Lea play area, meaning that the Culm Lea issue had been addressed;
· The fact that the Group had already asked the Community PDG for their views on this matter.
Following discussion Cllr Woollatt agreed to amend her Motion to say that ‘this council should adopt a policy of ensuring that play areas in the district that contain play equipment aimed at pre-school or primary school age children and are currently enclosed remain enclosed and that new facilities be enclosed, to facilitate the health and safety of its young users.’
It was RECOMMENDED to Council that Motion 537 not be supported.
(Proposed by the Chairman)
Note: - (i) A proposal to support the Motion was not supported.
(ii) Cllrs Letch and Wright asked that their vote in support of the Motion be recorded.
(ii) A request from the Chairman that Cllr Woollatt defer her Motion until such time that the Community PDG had discussed the Parks and Open Spaces Plan was declined.
Motion 538 (Cllr Mrs J Roach – 1 June 2017)
Mid Devon District Council is concerned that the present level of grass cutting across the district is the subject of much criticism.
That Mid Devon District Council therefore resolves to urgently review;
1. Whether the budget is sufficient and if it isn't to put forward a request to Council for a supplementary budget to meet the cost of providing an effective service.
2. If it is impossible to provide extra funding the Council should consider asset transfers to Parish Councils and/or individuals. Taxpayers are now facing the second year of a grass cutting regime which leaves the grass uncut for long periods.
Cllr Roach explained that she had put this Motion forward because every time she went out and about in her local area she was approached by members of the public who wanted to complain about the grass and the lack of cutting. It was now July and only two cuts had taken place in Silverton. On communal land which was used by dog walkers there was a problem with ticks and picking up dogs mess in the long grass was difficult. Cllr Roach circulated some photographs of the grass.
Cllr Roach raised the issue of different areas of land being the responsibility of different councils and the possibility of asset transfer. Cllr Roach informed the Group that she always attended ‘Estate Walkabouts’ with Tenancy Officers and had known of letters being sent to tenants who let their grass grow too long.
Cllr Mrs Roach indicated that she would be happy to defer her Motion to the next meeting to allow officers time to respond to her observations.
It was AGREED that a report regarding the current grass cutting situation and what could be done differently in the future to improve the service be prepared for the next meeting, along with a review of the transfer of costs from the Housing Revenue Account for work undertaken by the Grounds Maintenance Service for grass cutting and clarification of the Service Level Agreement. The Head of Finance, Assets and Resources reminded Members that any additional funding for grass cutting might result in difficult choices elsewhere within the budget.
It was RESOLVED that Motion 538 be deferred to the next meeting of the Group for further information.