Published: Thursday 02nd July 2020 | 5.02pm
Despite the government announcement on 23 June, to re-open play areas and outdoor gym equipment, Council owned playgrounds in the District will remain closed until all risk assessments have been completed and measures and signage have been put in place to re-open safely.
A full risk assessment of playgrounds and green gym equipment needs to take place to ensure that they are COVID secure and as safe as possible for families to use.
Councillor Christine Mitchell, Portfolio Leader for Culture and Sport said “Although the government announced on 23 June that playgrounds and green gym equipment could re-open on 4 July, the actual guidance was only published last Friday. Officers have been reviewing the detail contained in this, to ensure that the risks to our families and users of our play and outdoor gym equipment are minimised as much as possible before we re-open.
“New signage will be designed and installed to all our 50 or so play areas and 3 outdoor gym sites. We recognise that our residents and families will want to use our play areas and gym equipment as soon as they can, but we hope that they will be patient and appreciate our cautious approach. The safety of our residents is paramount and we will not open these outdoor facilities until it is safe to do so.”