Levellings Site Improvement Working Group 2019

4. Levellings Improvements Working Group - Friday 9 August 2019

Present:

Councillor Richard Craig (Chairman)

Councillor Paul Key

Councillor Keith Panter – ex officio

Councillor James Ward

 

 

In Attendance:

 

Claire Hill                                Town Clerk

 

A representative of Connexions Youth Council was also in attendance.

 

 

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

Councillor Matt Boles

Sean Alcock Operations Manager

 

 

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

           

            None made.

 

 

3. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING  

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Levellings Site Improvement Working Group meeting held on Monday 1 July 2019 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

 

 

4. ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

 

The group reviewed the actions as set out in the Minutes of the previous meeting and NOTED the following:

• 2018 ROSPA report had been circulated to group members
• Site visit had taken place with the Operations Manager attended by Cllrs Craig, Key and Panter

 

A Member referred to the need for the Operations Manager to attend as noted at the previous meeting. The Clerk apologised that the meeting was arranged when pre-arranged leave was in place.

 

 

5. SITE ASPIRATIONS / DIRECTIONS

 

MUGA – Cllr Craig advised that following the site visit it was unlikely that this would be sited on the existing smaller ball court and an adjacent area would need to be utilised. The group noted that installation would only be possible with the support of external grant funding.

He noted that the MUGA group established in Gainsborough were currently focussed on a potential installation on WLDC land at Danes Road, adjacent to the play area maintained by Gainsborough Town Council.

 

Disabled Play Equipment – Cllr Ward referred to a request he had received from a member of the public to install disabled play equipment on this site. It was agreed that Cllr Ward would do some further research in relation to this.

 

Quotes received to date – The Clerk advised that following the site visit and requests from members to focus on the existing play areas the Operations Manager had met with 3 suppliers:

 

Proludic

Quotation received for supply of missing parts on a supply only basis. The Clerk advised that the replacement parts would need to be installed by the grounds team. She also advised that as well as refurbishing the equipment surfacing repair works were required to bring this area back into use. It was suggested that rubber matting with grass infill would be a more cost-effective long-term option than the current wet pour. Whilst no formal quotation had been received based on historic pricing an outline cost for removal of the wetpour at £8.8k was given with grass and rubber matting costed at £24.00 per sqm.

 

Members were keen to see this area brought back into use as quickly as possible and wanted to see the current fencing adjusted to enclose the damaged area of surfacing and reopen this part of the site without delay, whilst confirmed quotations for the renewal of the surfacing were sought.

 

RESOLVED that the quotation for the required parts from Proludic at £1985.72 be accepted with expenditure from the Levellings development funding held within earmarked reserves.

 

Sovereign

From their recent site visit members were keen to see the swing capacity in the toddler area increased to a double bay swing. The design and quotation received was distributed to the group to review. The Clerk noted that a further quotations for increased swing capacity were outstanding from other suppliers.

 

Discussion then turned to reinstallation of a skate park and Members were keen to see the existing concreted area used for this purpose. Members requested that they were present when an onsite visit for design and costing could be arranged. It was noted that Sport England may be a possible source of funding and Cllr Craig agreed to make initial contact to explore further.

 

 

6. NEXT STEPS

 

Actions to be completed ahead of the next meeting were agreed as follows:

• Cllr Ward to research disabled play equipment – level of need and equipment options.
• Quotation for surfacing repairs / renewal to surface of Proludic area to be sought as soon as possible
• Cllr Craig to speak to Sport England regards skate park funding
• Further quote for swing upgrade to be confirmed

 

 

7. DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING

 

Members noted the need for the Operations Manager to be in attendance given his knowledge of the site and play equipment. This was proposed as Friday 23^rd August at 5pm subject to confirmation that the Operations Manager can attend.

 

 

The meeting closed at 11.20am