Minutes of the Play Committee Meeting
held on Tuesday 27 August 2002 at 7.03pm in the Community Centre
Present: M Ellwood (chair) EH Baker JE Coston CJ Lock A Macpherson
D May (cricket) HM Smith RLE Waters
In attendance: CF Nunn
The clerk SJ Daniels
333/02 1 Co-option of new members
The chairman welcomed two new members Hayley Ashford and Alan Weeks.
Alan was unable to be present but was keen to serve on the committee.
AGREED to co-opt both on to the committee.
2 Apologies for absence - L Henderson K Finney D Teeboon A Weeks
334/02 3 Minutes - The minutes of the meeting of 29 May 02 were approved and
signed as a true record.
335/02 4 Matters Arising
(251/02) Skate Park [reference also min 293/02 (Youth), 311/02 (Council) and 332/02
(MYCMG)] - approximately £20,500 had been received/pledged. A bid for a
£2,000 grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts was being processed.
It was hoped that the cricket nets would be moved within two weeks. MCC had
received grant aid to cover the cost of moving the nets. The cricket club
were applying for grant aid also for extra netting.
HMS and LH had met with youngsters to find out their views on the plans for
the skate park.
SCDC had promised a grant of £10,000 (to the Parish Council for the half
pipe) subject to Council's agreement to insure or replace if necessary -
MPC to discuss on 2 September.
Tesco had agreed to allow contractors access through their fence.
Negotiations were in hand to replace fence with something more substantial.
ME thanked HMS for her hard work in securing funding and for the range of
equipment to be provided..
(252/02) Play Inspections - RLEW and ME had tested all the equipment and found no
significant rot in any of the wooden supports. The seesaw at The Sycamores
had been broken (not reported by Wicksteed Inspector) and had since been
repaired.
Rota - RLEW had inspected all play areas (item 5 below) - written report
to follow.
AGREED that individual members would be responsible for regularly
inspecting one play area each.
Proposed rota:
Coles Road JEC
The Sycamores EHB and CJL
Hawthorn Hedge AW
The Rowans HA
Froment Way RLEW
Humphries Way DM
ME and RLEW would organise forking over of play bark at Froment Way,
Humphries Way and the Sycamores (see item 5 below).
AGREED to ask Herald Contract Services to supply 15m3 of play bark at The
Rowans and to weed spray the play area.
Action: Clerk.
City Services - The clerk had not received a reply from City Services
to his letter dated 30 May 02.
(253/02) Safety Surfaces
CFN had obtained quotations ranging from £8,491 to £11,515 for a
rubberised safety surface at the toddlers' play area Coles Road.
AGREED subject to further investigation to recommend that MCC replace the
bark at the toddlers' play area with a rubberised surface at a cost
of up to £10,000.
Action: CFN and Outdoor Recreation Committee MCC.
Reminder: Reference minute 253/02 and 254/02 Committee would need to
consider in November/December budget requirements for 2003/04
336/02 5 Play Areas
RLEW reported the following:
Humphries Way - action needed - weed spraying and digging of bark. Top
pivot bolts on swing need to be replaced soon.
Froment Way - motorbike has been repainted and replaced. Wooden edging to
toddlers' area had been removed - no need to replace. Maypole seats would
soon need to be replaced. Action needed - digging of bark.
The Rowans - action needed - weed spraying, repair to gate post and fence.
Recommendation: that committee budget to replace fence in 2003/04.
The Sycamores - bolt missing on "wobbler" - CFN to replace.
Action needed - weed spraying of bark.
Hawthorn Hedge - satisfactory.
Coles Road - satisfactory. (Wicksteed's report was discussed - no further
action considered necessary).
337/02 6 AOB
Play Inspections - it was queried whether Committee should look elsewhere
for the annual inspection in view of members' lack of confidence in
Wicksteed.
The meeting ended at 9.10pm.