SAFETY concerns have been raised by residents about the suitability of the dog agility equipment installed in the Dog Bark in the King George V Park.
Residents say the equipment is too high; there are no padded landings; the surface of the equipment is too slippery; the seesaw is unfinished and not stable; the triangle pyramid is too high; the hurdles face the wrong way for dogs to jump over; and children have been seen playing on the equipment.
“It’s a nice idea, but poorly executed,” says resident, Alan Liddell, “It would be good to see equipment that works for dogs of all abilities.”
Another resident said, “When the dog agility equipment was first announced, I thought it was a great idea. Unfortunately, the execution of it has been really poor. It doesn’t offer a lot of range really and the hurdles close to the fence are in a very odd position! Any dog jumping over them is going to go right into the fence on the other side. I think the money would’ve been better spent fixing the ground to make it suitable for dogs, before putting this equipment in. After walking past and taking a quick look, I doubt I’ll be taking my dog in there.”
The dog agility equipment was purchased by Melksham Town Council at a cost of £18,154 following a motion put forward at an extraordinary full council meeting on 28th March, by former councillor, Carl Houghton, who proposed to install the equipment using funds reserved to improve the town’s play parks. Some councillors and residents have been divided in opinion over the project, questioning the necessity of purchasing agility equipment, particularly during a cost-of-living-crisis and when other facilities in the town need upgrading.
Former councillor Carl Houghton who originally proposed the scheme said, “As a councillor it was my job to identify a need and want within the community and act upon that. Although it is not a need that reaches everyone, I stand by that we must cater for everyone in our town. The difficulty as a councillor is that once a project has been voted through it is essentially out of our hands.
“I have found as a previous councillor it has been restrictive seeing a project through and to an adequate standard.
“With the Dog Park specifically I first had to challenge the project manager on the location in which it was going, seeing it laid out on the flooded area, being reassured it would be on the concreted area, I was pleased to find it was.
“However, seeing the way the equipment has been laid out has me concerned. With the equipment being too big for all dogs, this isn’t the inclusive dog equipment I envisaged. There is equipment too steep for dogs to even get up and with the three jumping stands that face the rails, any dog that jumps over it risks injuring themselves.
“With this – and the bike pump motion that has been half complete, despite the first bike pump being installed in May 2022 – it shows a clear issue that despite councillors’ best intentions, projects don’t seem to be materialising and to the standard the town deserves.”
Melksham News approached Melksham Town Council for comment in response to the residents’ concerns, but is yet to receive a response.
