Hazard warning near children’s play park

The play area has been replaced and relocated from its old site in the corner of the playing field car park to in front of the sports pavilion.

Chairman Coun Jan Palmer said at last week’s meeting: “Over the last six years there has been massive improvements to the pavilion and playing field, a lot of it down to voluntary subscription and effort. We have had such good feedback since the new play park opened in July.”

The next step is to dismantle the old play park and extend the car park with a widened access road.

Resident Andy Mellett-Brown warned that an area next to the new play park needed addressing urgently as it resembled a ‘building site’ and was not screened off despite containing grass cutting machinery. He said: “The blades are uncovered and only 20ft from a playground for small children.”

He added that children could be tempted to climb on it. Coun Richard Higgs commented that improvements were a “work in progress”, adding: “Top soil is to be placed on other parts of the field and there will be a compound. Yes, the parish council owns the fields and buildings but they are more like trustees.”

Mr Mellett-Brown accepted it was work in progress but warned: “That machine could chop off a child’s hand right now.”

The issue would be passed on to the stewards and it was also agreed to fund the installation of a new public toilet that could be accessed from outside at a cost of up to £1,500.