by Wickhambrook Parish Clerk
We’ve been receiving many queries and comments about the Playfort in the play area at Cemetery Road, which has been out of use now for much of the year.
Firstly, we wanted to re-assure you that the Parish Council has been working hard to bring the Fort back into use, as we are aware from parents and guardians comments how much the children enjoy this play equipment.
The deterioration of the wooden sleepers set upright around the Toddlers’ Slide was reported to the Parish Council Estates Committee late autumn last year.
A quote for the re-instatement of the damaged part of the fort with new posts had been obtained from both the original suppliers and a local business. The meeting agreed that the posts needed to be reinstated and instructed the work. Once the work started, the contractor reported that in their view the way in which the hill fort area had been constructed (concrete, covered with a top layer of soil) had contributed to the rotting of the sleepers and would need to be removed to re-install new oak sleepers.
The Parish Council’s insurance cover includes, under property damage and business interruption, cover for playground equipment, however, the insurers indicated that the cover did not extend to the deterioration reported to them.
Following a detailed inspection of the construction of the fort and damage to sleepers, the Estates Committee members worked to research the best options available to bring the Fort play area back into use for the children within a reasonable timescale, in a way which extended its shelf life and limits the requirement for future replacement of further oak sleepers.
A local construction company submitted a draft proposal for the installation of a crenelated fort feature surrounding the children’s slide, but unfortunately the Parish Council was unable to reach a decision on this proposal without more detailed specifications.
The Parish Council has now received a quote from a national play equipment supplier with extensive experience of providing outdoor play equipment. The proposal is for a like for like re-instatement of pressure treated sleepers to surround the fort, with a guarantee of 10 years.
The technical drawings are currently being prepared and it is anticipated that the Parish Council will be able to make a decision on this proposal at its next meeting on September 26th at the Pavilion, Memorial Social Centre.
We very much appreciate your patience on this matter, and hope to soon be in a position to instruct the work required to bring this popular element of the play park back into use. As a Parish Council we would particularly like to thank our lay member on the Estates Committee with responsibility for the play areas, Roger Merry, who has put in so much time and work to bring this about.
Hilary Workman
Clerk and RFO to Wickhambrook Parish Council.