Childminder’s petition for play area improvements
A CHILDMINDER 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 has attracted 90 signatures with the target set by Jodie, of Hall Street, of 200 to 300.
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 have already secured £12,000 for improvements at Woodbank Park and are hoping to obtain further money in the next 12 months.”
He added: “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 interested 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.