18 October 2021
The playground at Mallard Road Park in Bournemouth is so old and run down that there are safety concerns for children using it, says local Green Party campaigner Kate Salmon.
The park is by Bishop of Winchester Academy, on a through route also very close to Queen’s Park Children’s Centre, Queen’s Park Academy (junior and infants), and the grammar schools. The park also serves residents who live in flats without gardens on the adjacent social housing estate.
The play equipment is looking shabby with peeling paint. The concerns catalogued by Kate Salmon include finger-trapping hazards presented by old and damaged equipment. There is a moderate build-up of graffiti, some of it obscene.
BCP Council, answering an enquiry from Kate, say they have no funds to replace anything at the playground. However, they do say basic maintenance is done for safety. Yet sections of the soft flooring are missing – exposing hard gravel. Kate said: “One missing floor section is very close to the bottom of the slide. I’ve seen a little girl hurt herself there.
“Sadly there are stories like this around the country. After 11 years of Conservative government austerity, local authority spending on parks has been slashed.”
