Lack of play area funding
Telford's record on providing play areas for its young residents is not good. With a history of underfunding going back at least 10 years, our children are woefully catered for. It appears the needs and wishes of other residents always override the needs of children. The only places that appear to get any play provision are large, new housing schemes.
This is not always the case, as the residents of south Ketley discovered when, despite having paid for a play area with land earmarked for it, Telford & Wrekin Council then backed down from providing such an area.
It appears because of pressure from people who would be living beside it, even though they knew when buying their houses that a play area was meant to be being installed.
This approach by the council means of course that older areas of our town are left with no facilities at all or remnants of play equipment rusting and falling to bits. When you compare what we spend on our children to what others in the country spend it becomes clear why we are so poorly provided for.
Telford spends only 60 per cent of the national average on 13 to 18 year olds, only half what Shrewsbury spends on sport and leisure.
If you look at where the money is spent it is apparent that most goes on a very few areas of the town. Hadley and Leegomery, Donnington and Woodside/Brookside get by far the most of any money being spent.
At the moment the council is putting together a strategy for play for the next 10 years. You should let the council know your views by September 29. If you don't then the same sorry state of affairs will go on for another 10 years.
Martin Young, Parish Councillor
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