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Plea for play area boycott
TOWN councillors are so worried about the state of the Newnton Grove play area that they are urging parents to boycott it in case a child is injured.
Missing railings, rusting equipment and crumbling concrete are all evident less than a year after the area opened.
The site also failed a safety inspection by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents paid for by Malmesbury Town Council, which is refusing to take charge of it until it is brought up to an acceptable standard.
Now councillors on the planning and environment committee, frustrated at an apparent lack of action to rectify the faults, are making a personal plea to parents.
Cllr John Bowen explained: "What we wanted to do was tape it off and put up warning posters," he said. "But we cannot do it because it is not our property.
"All we can do is make people aware and ask parents not to let their children in there."
They are continuing to apply pressure, but: "There is nothing happening and everybody is passing the buck.
"It would be very good if the children boycott it in the meantime. We just want them to be safe. That is the bottom line.
He added: "It is a scandal. It is an outrage and we are furious about it."
"Westlea, or whoever paid for it, has put in shoddy equipment, much inferior to what was there before."
A district council spokesman said: "We are currently working with Westlea and the installer, Monster Play to rectify the issues at the site. However we don't currently have a timescale, although Monster have taken liability on some of the issues so these are expected to be rectified ASAP.
"Other issues including the missing railings, which it is believed were stolen from the site, may take longer.
He added: "We are not aware of the ROSPA inspection. It is inspected weekly by our contractors, but they have not had concerns strong enough to recommend closure."
ends
5:30pm Friday 9th May 2008
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