Mum’s anger on ‘neglected’ playground
ACHILDMINDER has started a petition to have better play equipment at her ‘neglected’ nearby park.
Jodie Malone, 37, takes her two children and other youngsters to Woodbank Park, in Offerton, as it is the closest and most convenient play area.
But she says it only has three pieces of equipment - a zip wire, swings and a see saw - and her children now ask to go further afield.
So she has set up an online petition that asks to have Woodbank Park’s play area ‘refurbished and upgraded with more play equipment installed’.
And in its first 10 days it had attracted 90 signatures with the target set by Jodie, of Hall Street, of 200-300.
She said: “For a few years my husband has been taking the children to the park but now the older one is asking - can we go to the park with the roundabout.
“He means Torkington Park, which is beautiful and recently been done up yet again, but it means a drive and we have to travel to find a decent play area.
“It would be nice to have something like that close by but Woodbank Park has been exactly the same for years, by all accounts it’s neglected and ready for some investment.”
Part of the problem, Jodie says, is that Woodbank Park, off Turncroft Lane, is well used by bike riders and dog walkers, so their needs take priority.
It means that although there has been investment in the park it has been for projects such as cycle lanes.
Jodie, who lives with husband Del, 48, as well as son Conan, four and daughter Cadie, one, hopes her petition will spark a change.
She hopes that money secured by section 106 agreements can be used.
This is where developers give funds for community projects as a condition of being given planning permission.
Mark Glynn, the council’s strategic head of place management, said: “We haves already secured £12,000 for improvements at Woodbank Park and are hoping to obtain further money in the next 12 months.
“Overall, we’ve invested £750,000 in outdoor play areas across the borough in the last two years.
“The council also has a strong track record of supporting community groups to access external funding, so we’d like to invite those from the community with an interest in improving Woodbank Park’s play area to contact us directly.”
The petition runs until June 1 and can be seen on the Stockport council website.