Shocked families campaign to bring back Weymouth play park (From Thisisdorset)

Shocked families campaign to bring back Weymouth play park

2:00pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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FAMILIES are campaigning to bring back their favourite play park after finding it had suddenly vanished.

Children were in tears when they arrived at the play park in Lodmoor Country Park in Weymouth to find the climbing frame, rope ladders and slide had been taken away.

The park, behind St John’s School, had become a favourite spot for families to meet up, with parents sitting on picnic benches while their children played on the fenced-off soft surface.

But the fence and everything except two swings has been pulled out by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council over health and safety fears.

Dave Price, from Waterloo Place, Weymouth, takes his daughters Sophie and Abbie to the park and helped set up the petition.

He said: “It should have been maintained properly and the equipment replaced as and when necessary.

“If the council knew it had a short life left they should have planned and budgeted for replacement equipment.

“It was a lovely park.

“It wasn’t amazing but it was somewhere for the kids and they loved it.”

Around 70 mums, dads, children and grandparents took placards with the words ‘Save our Park’ to Lodmoor to voice their anger.

And their petition has more than 200 signatures already.

Fellow petition organiser Sara Scott, 35, from Dorchester Road, Weymouth, is hoping the council can be encouraged to replace the park straight away.

She said: “This is a community thing that we’ve completely lost.

“There is an application in to provide a ‘green gym’ but that’s not suitable for children.

“And there’s nothing else in this area.”

The Barnardo’s charity has been using the park for parent and family get-togethers and was planning to use it again this summer.

Kelly Houghton, the charity’s Parent Support Adviser for Weymouth and Portland, is backing the campaign.

She said: “We held our free activities in the park here and had more than 150 people turning up in the summer at picnics.

“We had face painting and all kinds of stuff.

“We planned to have it here this year and realised there’s not a park here.

“It was a fantastic park and so safe for the younger children.”

Mums from Weymouth were out in force to vent their anger.

Sheena Buckland, 41, from Grove Avenue, regularly visits with her sons Ben, five, and Josh, three, who was in tears when he saw the park being removed. “They loved it,” she said.

Louise Cawton, 30, from Carlton Road North, takes her sons Adam, 10, and Oliver, seven, there. She said: “It’s really sad they’ve taken it down as it’s right behind the primary school and teachers have used it. To take it away is sad.”

Laura Newland, 29, of Prince’s Drive, visits with her son Jacob, three, and eight-month-old daughter Olivia-May.

She said: “The last time we came down I wouldn’t have thought it was unsafe.

“This is somewhere to go after school or after going to the beach or the Sea Life Park.”

The petitions can be signed at the Park Community Centre in Chelmsford Street and the Molyneux Guesthouse in Waterloo Place, Weymouth.

Parents and pupils can also sign it in reception at St John’s School and Sunnydays nursery in Glendinning Avenue.