HOUSING TRUST SLAMMED OVER ‘NEGLECT’ OF KIDS PLAY AREA
IT is now almost two years since HHT took control of the remaining housing stock at Halton Lodge and at the Halton Lodge Residents Association meeting last night around 25 people reflected on those two years.
The commitment the trust shows to housing refurbishment are not in question but what remains a continuing source of concern is the approach the trust is taking to estate management.
Since taking over responsibility, HHT has demolished the old Fed Office, removed CCTV and closed the children’s playground with the threat of disposing of it.
At yesterday’s meeting Cotton Lane residents referred to Riverside undertaking weekly litter picking and grounds maintenance on their side of the estate, whilst residents in the areas maintained by HHT referred to long term litter in bushes that was there a year ago.
None of this is very complimentary but what specifically concerns the ward councillors at this time is the approach the Trust is taking to the children’s playground that you inherited from Sanctuary that had been developed in partnership with residents at a cost of £130,000.
Christine Walker, Environmental Services Manager, has indicated to me that it the Trusts intention to dispose of the public playground as it is heavily vandalised and poses a risk.
She further adds that there is an alternative playground at Runcorn Town Hall (which incidentally is 0.9 miles away by foot, over a busway and two main roads or 1.4 miles if made by car).
I commissioned a professional inspection of this site to understand what defects there were that prevented its compliance to BS/ EN 1176/77 and I subsequently provided to the trust a list of defects, asking if you could source a price for the works which the Local Area Forum could consider for funding.
In effect, there is the poten- tial to put right defects, to try to plan for the future of the site and tackle issues but the trust seemingly refuses to co-operate.
In respect of determining the future of a public playground you need to consider the following matters before you make final any decision on removing or disposing of this site:
● There is no alternative site for a playground serving the Halton Lodge community and no indication that HHT have funds or will seek funds to provide an alternate site in lieu of its loss.
● This area has one of the highest rates in Halton for child poverty and indicators suggest poor health and this facility represents the only facility dedicated for young people where they can exercise.
Unlike other large RSLs, who show a strong commitment to maintaining children’s playgrounds, HHT have no other playground in Runcorn. Shamefully the largest social landlord in Runcorn shows the lowest level of commitment to provision for children.
● Urban playgrounds do naturally incur vandalism from time to time and generate defects and inspection costs. Cosmopolitan stopped undertaking occasional repairs and inspections as it neared the financial difficulties that forced its departure. HHT inherited a site that was already vandalised but not derelict and not beyond your scope of repair. Your officers have ‘over egged’ that the site is derelict when in fact most equipment is functional and is missing perhaps a single working part.
● Your only two commitments to this playground site were to remove a CCTV camera used to monitor the safety of children on site and to install a fence around it. The fencing gets damaged because young people are trying to get to use the very facility you are denying them.
● At its meeting yesterday Halton Lodge Residents Association resolved to seek to see the playground being maintained and not lost to the community.
● We are told HHT have had no supportive comments for retaining the playground from public feedback, yet none of the residents at last night’s meeting could recall HHT asking for feedback on the playground. Specifically there has been no consultation with local children.
● I am an Associate Governor of the school and certainly prior to my initial email correspondence with the Trust on this matter, discussion on disposing of the site to Woodside School had not been considered by the Governors.
No-one I can see objects to the school having an input into the site.
The funds to repair the site are being potentially being offered (in whole or part) to the Trust and you won’t cooperate in even being prepared to seek quotations.
Therefore, I will arrange to have a quotation sourced for you from a professional playground installer.
None of this shows HHT in a positive light and reflects poorly on you being a landlord that listens and is going to honour commitments that it initially gave to safeguarding community interests in this Halton Lodge estate.
Before you took this housing stock I contacted Neil Townsend at Riverside asking that they do whatever they could to take the entire stock at Halton Lodge because I feared HHT would not show the same kind of community spirit to tenants that Riverside so clearly display.
Two years after you took control of half of the social housing in Halton Lodge I fear I am being proven right and would rather this was not the case.
I would be grateful if you could indicate your position you take on matters with regards the only children’s playground your trust control and to understand what willingness you have to work with residents and local community to make a success of your inheritance of this estate.