Disappointment at Trefriw playground delays

Oct 15 2009 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

IT now looks like Trefriw kids won’t get their playground back until 2011, claim trustees.

The board of trustees for the Henry Higgins playing fields in Trefriw said their children faced further disappointment at playground delays by Environment Agency Wales.

“Delays to the construction of the flood defences mean that the site hasn’t been turfed or seeded with grass so there’s little chance of getting any play equipment on the site in the foreseeable future,” said Trust chair David Dallimore.

“We have also been left frustrated by the Environment Agency who refuse to acknowledge that the playground has been altered significantly by the construction of the flood defence.”

Trefriw’s playing field is held in trust for the children of the village and cannot be used for any other purpose. The Environment Agency has written to the trustee’s solicitor stating that their flood defence can ‘still be used for community recreation’.

The trustees visited the site last week to see what was left of the field and said they were shocked by what they found.

Mr Dallimore added: “Only a very small area on the village-side of the flood defence is left on which play equipment can be safely sited, any equipment sited here will not be easily accessible.”

Parents expressed concerns that the layout meant they could not safely supervise children using the field.

The trustees are now in the process of taking legal action against Environment Agency Wales to gain compensation for the loss of their community resource. The trustees say they will use any compensation to improve children’s play facilities in the village.

Environment Agency Wales responded by saying: “We are very disappointed that the trustees of the playing fields will no longer discuss the future of the playground for the children with us directly. This has made it difficult to progress with the design as fast as we would have liked.

“The majority of the equipment, pathways and surfacing will be in place by next spring.

“We have had very positive, regular contact with local people and members of the community council. Their comments continue to surprise us and we would urge them to speak to us direct.”