The adoption of two play areas in Melksham’s new housing developments at Pathfinder Place, Bowerhill, and Bowood View, off Semington Road, will now be transferred to Melksham Without Parish Council, following lengthy debate at a meeting on 3rd October.
Parish council clerk Teresa Strange said, “The parish council are happy to adopt the Davey Play Area at Pathfinder Place from Taylor Wimpey pending a couple of bits and pieces that still require fixing; some additional signage and a gate that can be locked; and anything that has arisen on the recent independent inspection. The fence colour is incorrect, but it is galvanised steel and so, as just an aesthetic thing, this was agreed some months ago to be acceptable to try and speed the process up.”
The parish council had been undergoing discussion with the Bellway developer regarding the Bowood View play area, as a number of safety issues meant the council were not happy to adopt it until these had been addressed. Teresa said, “With regards to the Whitworth Play Area at Bowood View, the parish council are still not happy with certain aspects of the play area as not being to the specification discussed with Bellway at the onset, and agreed with the play equipment provider; these will most likely cause maintenance issues in the future, particularly with the safety surface and the poor grassed area.
“Councillors weighed up the future liability of [adopting the Bowood View play area] against providing the best service possible to the residents of Bowood View and have decided to go ahead and adopt this play area too, with the misgivings about the possible maintenance implications. This is subject to the gravel hoggin path being replaced with tarmac by Bellway, who are currently on site tarmacking the roads, and subject to a satisfactory independent review. “
The parish council pay for an independent inspection of the play areas by RoSPA, the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents, by the Play Safety department of the organisation, that are undertaken in September each year. Teresa said, “This is a good opportunity to ensure that an independent expert has assessed the play areas from a safety point of view and for the parish council to insist that any concerns are addressed before hand over of the play area to the parish council.”
