More than £18,000 of public money has been lost after Melksham’s dog park equipment was sold for just £16.20 as scrap metal.
The agility equipment was installed in the dog park section of the King George V park in 2023 but the area was closed just weeks later after a Melksham News investigation following safety concerns by dog owners. This found the equipment did not meet The Kennel Club’s ‘fun agility’ guidelines, with one structure more than a metre higher than recommended.
The Kennel Club said it was “deeply concerned”, leading councillors to shut the site and remove the equipment.
The installation included three hurdles, a hoop, a pipe tunnel, a dog walk, a ramp, a see-saw and metal poles designed for dogs to weave through. Concerns were raised that the equipment was too high and that the surfaces were too slippery.
In 2024 the council was also advised that hard-standing rubber matting would need to be removed, taking the total cost of the project to almost £40,000.
The equipment was stored by the council before recently being sold in December for just £16.20 as scrap metal.
Two years on, the site remains an open space for dog exercise, with no agility equipment in place.
Melksham Town Council has been contacted for comment.
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