WESTBURY Town Council is looking to spend thousands of pounds to make play areas in the town safer, to encourage more families to use them.
The council agreed last year to take on responsibility for 10 play areas from Wiltshire Council who are transferring some of its services to parish and town councils in a bid to save money.
Prior to the change of ownership, Wiltshire Council had stated that play areas would be closed if a piece of play equipment was considered unsafe, as there was not sufficient budget money available for repairs.
During a meeting on Monday 19th August of the town council’s highways, planning and development committee, councillors agreed that £55,000 of CIL money (community infrastructure levy) should be used to make repairs to the play equipment and to purchase new equipment to replace any that is worn or expired.
They also agreed that an additional £500 spend to repair the multi-slide in Kendrick Close; £1,200 for the replacement of the ‘Springy’ play equipment in Campion Close and to repair the safety surfaces in the 10 play areas at the cost of £35,338 as the current state of them are causing a serious trip hazard.
Cllr Mike Sutton said, “It is money that needs to be spent. The town council understands the importance of play areas in the town. My view is that spending the CIL money on play area maintenance would be a win-win. We took these over from Wiltshire Council and it would be seen in the town that we have done something with the money we have generated from the levy. All of the equipment is very outdated and starting to degrade. I think it would be a good credit to this council and it will show the town that money is spent on things that matter to the town and I fully support this.”
Cllr Jane Russ added. “If you spend this kind of money, you are then more likely to maintain it and that’s the key. It’s about actually following it up. As part of this, we are looking at maintaining it and in my book, that is absolutely crucial.”
Cllr Ward Jones, “There is an important sensitivity to the needs of the community, particularly in the 6-week school summer holidays, to have somewhere to go where kids can be out in the fresh air doing something that doesn’t cost anything. It is important in a town like Westbury, it is possibly more important in a town like Westbury.”
All these proposals for spending will need to be agreed by full town council.
