Sandown Town Councillors are listening to the views of users of Steven Jenkins Playground, as well as consulting local school students and the wider community, following damage to the children’s’ swing, zip wire and 2 sprung animals.
One recent incident required the fire service to cut an adult from the swing, with the adult not repairing the damage or contacting the local council.
Town Mayor Gary Young has said:
“We know how important the playpark is to local children and families, especially following the lockdown, and we introduced increased signage to make as covid safe as possible. We were shocked by the level of vandalism that has occurred depriving children of quality facilities”.
Deputy Mayor Paul Brading adds:
“At our recent meeting we said we wanted to hear the views of those that use the park, and this is what we are doing, with a hope to commission new or replacement equipment early in the New Year, and installed well before next summer”.
The Town Council will be reviewing its budget at the planned December meeting, taking into account the unexpected costs of COVID compliance, as well as other initiatives undertaken since the budget was set earlier in the spring.
Cllr Young concludes:
“The whole of Sandham has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, and we want to maintain the high standard of provision in the Park, but also want to try and reduce the level of anti-social behaviour which is impacting on the enjoyment of those that want to use the facilities for the purpose they have been provided”.
A questionnaire is available on the Sandown Town Council website.
You can try and head the problem off by adding security to the park, but a better longer term route would be to tackle the issue of vandalism, likely bored teens. To deprive younger children of a regenerated play park is only encouraging boredom and other societal issues.
And, to be clear, the fire brigade helped someone who had been vandalising the equipment, but didn’t notify the police or seek police accompaniment? That’s how the article reads.
Will become ever worse as the Island has thousand plus homes built each year, many filled with undesirables who will make the Island Vandals seem decent pillars of society.
Less ‘natural’ green spaces for children to play, and shoe horned into grotty parks, then filled with bullies, drug addicts and alcohol fuelled teens, with NO work, as once built more homes just add more unemployment.
Vote this council out.
One recent incident required the fire service to cut an adult from the swing, with the adult not repairing the damage or contacting the local council.
……………
So, what is wrong with the above?
Why wasn’t this miscreant billed for the use of the fire service and billed by the council for the repairs.
The fire service should have assessed the situation – discovered why he/she was there and then demanded verifiable contact details before agreeing to cut him/her free – if he/she refused, then damned well leave him/her there until he/she does.
a bill sent and if not paid, then deduct the bill through the courts from salary/wages or benefits by taking it before the money is paid into the account.
How do we know that hasn’t happened. I’m sure the Fire Service would have informed Police.
Sandham or Sandown? Island echo, seriously- are you writing this on your phone? This is shocking
The area is known as Sandham Gardens…