Row over future of Trefriw playground

Jun 4 2009 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

CONCERNED parents turned out in force at a last ditch public meeting to discuss the future of a children’s play park.

People in Trefriw have seen their historic recreational ground decimated with all the play equipment removed, tonnes of earth being removed and trees chopped down.

Work on the recreation ground is to firm up flood defences for the village with the promise of a new play area in the pipeline.

This leaves children without a recognised play area for the whole of the summer holidays – with work not expected to be finished until October.

The recreation ground was given to the children of Trefriw as part of the Henry Higgins legacy.

At the evening meeting up to 40 local people were shown a number of plans for a new recreation area by Environment Agency Area Flood Risk Manager Mike Davies.

Despite an additional playing field being bought by the Environment Agency to compensate for cutting through the middle of the play area, concerns were still raised regarding the reduced size of the children’s park.

“You are reducing the size of the children’s play area,” said one angry mum.

“Children in a village this size need a play park with lots of equipment, not just a big field to run around in at the moment they have nothing you have ripped out at least 10 play items.”

Mr Davies said sacrifices had to be made in order to secure the village against further flooding. “There will be a certain amount of sacrifices to be made in building this scheme, our aim is to make these sacrifices as small as possible, I can’t see any other way around it.”

Another resident asked about the involvement of the Trustees of the recreational ground within the planning process, as they have the responsibility for the future of the Higgins legacy and a number of ancient trees have already been felled in the park to make way for the defence work.

In an 11th hour response the two Trustees present at the meeting invited parents to join them in the planning process. Although they declined to comment further on the subject.

“It seems the Trustees involvement is a bit late to make a difference now,” shouted one angry man.

Mike Davies admitted the Trustees had involved themselves in the planning process, “a bit late in the day”.

But he added: “What we will have in the end is a great recreational ground for the children.”

However a number of parents said they were now concerned that their children face a long summer period without any play park facilities in the village.

It is anticipates the flood defence work will be completed and the new park built by October 2009.

samantha.castle