Community vows to fight for Telford play area
A community has vowed to fight plans to axe a play area in Telford.
Residents of Beckbury Drive in Stirchley, Telford, have come together in an effort to save their park.
It's one of 13 across the borough at risk. Telford & Wrekin Council say the move would save around £20,000.
Dave Welch, who lives in Beckbury Drive, said it was vital the facilities were kept.
The grandfather-of-one said: "Residents definitely don't want to lose that park. All it is is a couple of swings, but it's somewhere for the children to go.
"We live in time of cutbacks and it seems like it'll get worse before it gets better. There's money out there, but on things like this that matter the residents seem to be ignored.
"They're trying to promote the health and wellbeing of children yet at the same time taking the park away.
"At the end of the day if it happens it'll happen, but we'll fight them all the way."
His comments come after letters were sent out to residents outlining the plans to reduce the number of play areas in the borough from 129 to 118.
Signed by environmental locality officer Adrian Corney, it states that the borough is well served by play areas and those left will offer ‘better play value’.
It's parts of the council's efforts to save £30 million over two years.
Dave said residents were working to get the park taken over by Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council. They will then look after the park themselves.
"We'll cut the grass, paint the swings, and use the parish council purely as a point of inspecting the park for health and safety.
"Our park is surrounded, secure and safe, and there's no reason for the council to go ahead and do what they're going to do. They're trying to find easy targets so they can save money. They can find another place."
Dave said that around 20 people in Beckbury Drive had signed a petition calling for the park to be saved.
"Beckbury Drive is a tight-knit community," he said. "We help each other out. I've been here since 1989, my children have grown up using that park and now my grandchildren are using it.
"There's a mixture of older people and younger people here now. It's a nice safe cul-de-sac, we don't have any issues, and people are protective of the amenities we've got."
Telford & Wrekin Council said that axing the play areas would save around £20,000 annually, and that they had received no objections from community, parish and town councils or local councillors to the plans during consultation.
Other parks at risk include Berberis Road, Leegomery; Cornbrook, Stirchley; Boulton Grange, Brandsfarm Way and Dodmoor Grange in Randlay; Doddington and Dudmaston in Hollinswood; Smallwood, Sutton Hill and Gravelly Drive, Newport.
As well as Beckbury Drive, another in Wrekin Avenue, Newport is also at risk, but the council is in talks with another authority over its future.
