Plans The Downs could get a new kids’ playground
ANEW children’s playground could be built on the Downs after the group that manages the public common agreed to pursue the idea.
The Downs Committee said they were willing to work with Clifton Down councillor Carla Denyer and others on the design, funding and location of a new playground on the Downs.
Their unanimous decision came after they heard that a children’s playground was “sorely needed” in the area.
Cllr Denyer presented a petition signed by more than 770 people calling on the committee to “yield the land” for a playground, preferably near the water tower and cafe on Stoke Road.
She said many people in Clifton Down live in flats without gardens and that a playground by Clifton Suspension Bridge, though “excellent”, was a 1.5-mile walk from the top of Whiteladies Road.
Resident Merche Clarke said a map of playgrounds in the city showed how “poorly served” Clifton Down was and how much it needed one.
“I think it’s something that’s sorely needed in this area and that particular location [near the water tower and cafe] seems to me something that would work very well for people in Clifton Down where they don’t have access to other playgrounds,” she said.
The committee stopped short of agreeing to yield the land, but after some discussion voted unanimously to work with Cllr Denyer and others to look at options for a new playground on the Downs. At this stage, there are no indications of how big the playground might be and what it might look like if it is built.
But Cllr Denyer suggested it should be set back from the road for safety reasons, and Cllr Paula O’Rourke expressed a preference for “natural”looking rather than traditional play equipment.
Cllr Peter Abraham said the “real problem” was who would pay for the construction and maintenance of the playground.
Cllr Denyer proposed a public-private split with local businesses picking up some of the tab, but Cllr Don Alexander advised her not to go to the council or the Downs Committee for funding.
The committee is anticipating it will be £127,300 in the red by the end of 2020/21 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bristol City Council warned in July it was facing a Covid-19 financial blackhole of £17.7million this financial year.
Cllr Denyer said in her written statement to the committee that: “My vision is for a modest, well-designed children’s playground, similar to the one near the Suspension Bridge, preferably located near the water tower and cafe on Stoke Road.
“I believe that a small playground in this location will enhance the Downs as a valuable resource for all people of Bristol, by providing something for younger families to do.
“I believe that this proposal would knit in very well with other proposals currently being considered for the Downs, including the Downs Loop, the new cafe, the renovated changing rooms, and I hope other facilities such as bike rental and improved public toilets.”