Consultation Update on Playground Equipment

This consultation update follows the announcement of the SurveyMonkey questionnaire in April.

The survey carried out by the Parish Council on the proposal to upgrade and expand the range of the play equipment at the Lorkin Daniell Field produced an encouraging response from 114 interested parties.  An analysis of the responses shows overwhelming support of 93% for the project.

The Trustees of the Lorkin Daniell Field have given the results their consideration and approved the development of the project.  They will now use the responses to the questions and added helpful comments to form a more detailed plan for the project.  The detailed analysis of the responses, along with a qualitative summary of the outcomes is shown below.

Issues to Consider

The Trustees need to consider a number of issues and detailed considerations but they have agreed that phase one should go ahead. This involves the refurbishment of the multiplay unit which is proceeding without delay as repairs are necessary now. This has commenced and is nearly ready for use. The “Cone Climber” installation will also commence taking the place of the existing roundabout; this was strongly supported in the survey.

The Parish Council is grateful for work of the Advisory Group for helping get to this stage and is now considering a strategy for moving the project forward which will doubtless ask the Group for further help in refining plans.

Summary of Survey Responses

Scroll within the window to view the summary:

An interpretative summary of responses to Questionnaire (114 responses)

Introduction

For some time, many residents of the village have been concerned by the perception of poor recreation provision and facilities for our children in the middle age band (say 10 – 14).  This was reflected in the responses to the Neighbourhood Plan survey and so proposals and policies to address the issues are now part of the plan.  Some progress has been made with the erection of the Millennium Youth Shelter and the establishment of the Youth Group (BYG).

However, there is still some way to go and the Parish Council believes that now is an appropriate time to review the play equipment at the Lorkin Daniell field in terms of being fit for purpose, catering for the community needs in terms of balance and age group appeal.

Questionnaire

Following proposals from an Advisory Group of interested parties, parents and Parish councillors, a questionnaire has been circulated and made available through the Village website for about three weeks.  114 responses were received and written submissions from 5 residents. An analysis of the questionnaire is attached to this summary of the comments that accompanied the responses to each question (see separate presentation attachment).

Age of respondents, type and frequency of use (Questions 3, 4, 5 and 6)

The age of respondents was skewed towards older adults (62% over 40), suggesting many grandparents use the site with their grandchildren. 78% of respondents were users of the Play Area, either parent or child. 27% of the type of user responses were children under 12 while 53% lived ‘close’ to the play area with a few adjacent to the site as indicated by postcodes.  Over 50% use the facility on a daily or weekly basis.

Support for an upgrade and expansion based on perceptions of current condition (Questions 1 and 7)

Responses to the questionnaire showed an overwhelming support for an upgrade and expansion of the current facility with 105 of the 114 returns (93%) indicating agreement.

Comparisons with the provision in neighbouring villages are not favourable and as a result several families travel out of the village to provide their children with a more satisfying experience.  It is for this reason that plans to enhance our provision are welcomed with comments such as “Great for children in our community” and “This provides an important community asset for children to play outside” reaffirming the need for children to have such opportunities to develop their social and physical wellbeing.

Providing for children of all age groups is a challenge and for only a few the existing equipment is seen as adequate.  However, for most it is viewed as tired, shabby and outdated.  Reference is made to rusty swings and a roundabout that does not rotate easily.  It is recognised that most items are only appropriate for children under 10 and a typical comment is “Something is better than nothing, but the proposed plan looks better”

Support for plan to enlarge range of equipment to cater for older children (Question 8)

This question brought a positive response from 74% of the respondents and comments from 62.  These replies showed a division of opinion; 21 felt it was not appropriate to have a mix of older children with toddlers in the same area.

• “It is good that at present it just caters for younger children.”
• “Older children need a location elsewhere.”

On the other hand, 6 suggested it would be better for all ages to play together provided safety issues were considered and young children were not overwhelmed as:

• “this helps develop life learning skills.”
• “This is important for children’s development and helps them let off steam and socialise.”

Seventeen respondents commented that existing equipment is not suitable for children, say above 10.  This forces them to play in the streets. Several suggested ramp type equipment for those with bikes and scooters but in a separate designated area.

• “Ramps are better than play equipment.”

At present older children do congregate in the play area, often in evenings; they allegedly cause problems with noise and anti-social behaviour. The addition of some of the equipment in the plan could exacerbate the problem, (13 comments) especially as the site cannot be closed off.  

New equipment (Question 9)

Of the examples of equipment suggested in the plan the most popular were the swings (87%). It’s noteworthy this was the favourite item children from Heathlands chose when attending an Advisory Group meeting last Autumn.  This was followed by the Cone Climber (71%) and the Zip Wire (65%). In an earlier Facebook poll through the Village Hub the Zip Wire had been the most popular item.

Positioning of new equipment (Question 10)

67% of respondents supported the positioning of the equipment on the plan and 37 comments were received.  Within these comments, several issues need to be addressed.

• 14 respondents are concerned that equipment, and in particular the Zip Wire, is too close to the hedge bordering Henderson Place and other households across Lexden Road have expressed concerns.
• A small number (7) felt a dedicated area for small children should be fenced off.
• The existing mound is seen as a facility that children enjoy playing on. Also 14 respondents feel that too much is crammed into a small area and urge more space for children to run around and families to have picnics. “Please maintain adequate space in the park for picnics etc in the Summer and benches for sitting in wet weather”.
• The Zip Wire received 65% approval. One respondent said, “Please install a Zip Wire for all ages”. Several would prefer to see it in a different location which would only encourage use by older children.  4 respondents did not want a Zip Wire at all.

Access and specific equipment for children with disabilities (Question 11)

As much of the equipment as possible should be accessible to all children.  Some specific equipment could be added to the plan, for instance:

• a roundabout which will accommodate a wheelchair,
• a nest swing, and
• dish roundabout.

A firm pathway from the car park beside the MUGA would make access for wheelchairs possible throughout the year.

General Comments (Question 12)

Most comments in this area have been incorporated in the sections above. The ideas for older children are reiterated:

• “Teenagers want ramps for bikes and basketball nets”.

There is an appreciation for the work on the project and

• “New equipment looks fantastic; a great new facility for the village”.