A mob of angry parents and upset children have scared away councillors who planned to meet at Ovington Drive park today.
Sefton Council have closed down the play area because it’s deemed unsafe for children to play on but after Kew councillors announced they’d be visiting the site today, angry parents staged a protest to scare them off.
OTS News understands Kew councillor Fred Weavers had let slip the meeting was going ahead, before word quickly got around and a protest was organised.
The defiant showing was enough to put a halt to the meetings and show the council that it won’t be closed without a fight.
Parents even sent their children to play on the equipment, ignoring warnings that it was unsafe and they could get hurt.
This warning was not enough to stop the defiant crowd and cheers went up when it was announced the planned meeting would be called off.
One delighted parent said: “how dare they shut down one of our parks! Our children love it here and there’s nothing to suggest it’s dangerous”.
Residents rally to save playground closure – Sign the Petition
Resident Nat Glennon has started a petition to save Kew Estate playground.
Nat said: “Following the recent news regarding the playground on the Kew Estate being removed, I feel it has upset a lot of people.
“As small as it may be, it brings a lot of joy to a lot of children and im sure many of them will be disappointed to see this go”.
“So on behalf of my children i am starting this petition in the hope that the council seriously reconsider their decision”.
“I hope you can all support this”
Sefton Council close Southport playground deemed ‘not fit for purpose’
Sefton Council have taken the decision to close down a deteriorated playground to protect the safety of park visitors.
The playground on Ovington Drive has seen rapid deterioration and decline in recent months and, despite repeated maintenance, it is no longer deemed fit for purpose.
The council want to reassure residents that there are a number of other facilities close by which they can take full advantage of.
A spokesman for Sefton Council told OTS News: “The playground at Ovington Drive is over 30 years old and while we have tried to sustain it with regular inspections and maintenance, the site has recently seen rapid deterioration.
“As a result we have decided to close the facility and decommission the old equipment, which was done with cabinet approval and ward councillors notified.
“While this is disappointing, the nearest alternative playground site to Ovington Drive can be found at Town Lane which is only a quarter of a mile away.
“The Town Lane playground has received substantial investment in the last few years and the equipment there has only recently been re-painted, meaning provision is still available for families to enjoy.”
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