Play parks decision backed despite concerns

Preston Park, in Eaglescliffe, is among the sites to have been discussed

A decision to concentrate on 32 play areas and leave 11 facing the prospect of gradual closure has been upheld.

Last month Stockton Council's cabinet said it would put "quality over quantity" because it could not afford to upgrade or refurbish all its sites.

A group of Conservative councillors challenged the decision, calling for a debate at a meeting this week.

However, members of the authority's scrutiny committee voted 7-5 to take no further action as they decided the cabinet's decision had been made in line with decision-making principles.

The council, which is under Labour minority control, will focus on 23 play areas as a priority, with nine to be kept safe with equipment replaced if resources allow.

A recommendation to spend £150,000 per year on the parks is to be considered in February, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Eleven play areas have been earmarked for "phased decommissioning and repurposing" over an estimated 10 years, with equipment to be taken away when it wears out.

A site would face "decommissioning" when three-quarters of its equipment is removed.

'Big red target'

Councillor Shakeel Hussain said the decision had ignored or watered down recommendations and had not involved consultation with families.

He said it was premature and people living on estates "deserve as much transparency and investment as the High Street".

"I think it was a mistake to put a big red target on the 11 parks," he added.

"You've put a target on them to say 'you're on the radar to get closed'. That shouldn't have been done."

Councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for environment and leisure said a decision had been made in principle, arguing it provided a "good spread" across the borough with significant investment.

"Nothing is closing down tomorrow," he said.

"There's a fear that the council is going to turn up next week and close play parks down, and we're certainly not going to do that."

He argued some areas could be transferred into local ownership, with only one play area expected to be decommissioned in the next four years

The committee's vote made the cabinet's decision effective immediately.