It is with regret that Eynsham Parish Council has made the decision to temporarily close Dovehouse Close play area. We are well aware that this is a much-used play area that our younger residents enjoy. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment this temporary closure will cause.
In recent weeks, a number of key pieces of play equipment have broken and proved unsafe, forcing us to remove them from use. In addition – following a recent site inspection – further safety concerns were raised on some of the remaining pieces of equipment.
At our Open Spaces Committee meeting on Tuesday 14 October, Councillors discussed the matter and made the decision to close the whole play area temporarily. This will ensure the safety of our community while we gather more information.
We hope this closure will not last too long. Our next step is to fully assess the extent and potential costs of the repairs and replacements required to make the play area equipment safe for use. This will have to be considered alongside our budget restraints. We will identify what funds we have available to make repairs during this Financial Year and hope to schedule this work in soon. We have, for example, already ordered the equipment needed to replace the trampoline. We await delivery and will schedule installation as soon as we can.
The Parish Council is saddened to have to remove this lovely local resource from use at this time. We take the safety of our young residents and their families incredibly seriously and our health and safety concerns ultimately made the decision for us. We cannot risk anyone being injured at the play area and hope the community will understand.
Fortunately, Eynsham has two other play areas that children and families can enjoy. These are located on Old Witney Road and Oxford Road. While we recognise that the equipment at these play areas is different to those at Dovehouse Close play area, it could present some interesting new challenges and adventures during this temporary closure.
We understand that parents and members of the school community will be particularly frustrated by the closure. We'd encourage anyone who'd like to be part of decisions such as this to consider joining us on the Parish Council - we still have a vacancy for a Councillor. Becoming a Councillor is a good opportunity to better understand how local democracy works and the complicated nature of local governance.