Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member: Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services presented the report of the Director: Neighbourhood and Enforcement Services.

The Council had already committed £2m of investment into open spaces and £1m in parks specifically, with the aim of raising the standard of green spaces and earning more Green Flag awards for the Borough. It was apparent that other play areas at the heart of communities would also benefit from investment.

Play areas were important for communities and a foundation point in children’s development, reducing issues further down the line, such as obesity in later life. For these reasons, the Council wished to ensure facilities were good quality and that families across the Borough could enjoy a good, free, day out.

This investment supplemented other play area investment funded through developer contributions (s106 agreements) and acted to bridge the gap in those areas where there was little development.

Cabinet welcomed the report stating the importance of providing active outdoor activities for young people in the Borough and how this helped to tackle health inequalities. Also noted was how the scheme linked in with other Council initiatives such as 10 by 10.

The Leader of the Conservative group stated that while the proposals were laudable he took issue with the borrowing involved to do so and that s106 agreements already contributed much towards this matter.

In response to the Leader of the Conservative group’s comments, the Cabinet Member: Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services noted that s106 funds could only be used in areas with development and that this meant that those areas without much development would not benefit from investment which did not lead to fairness of opportunity across the Borough.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet

a)    Approves the £750,000 investment package into Telford & Wrekin owned play areas across the borough.

b)   Endorses the approach to delivery as outlined in this report.