Hesleden Play Area:
Yesterday a concerned resident contacted me with a query about the play area between Front Street and Hazel Drive in Hesleden which has been closed for 3 weeks. As this is the responsibility of Monk Hesleden Parish Council I contacted the parish clerk and asked for the reasons behind the temporary closure.
The clerk confirmed that the play area had to be closed on health and safety grounds as the play equipment had been vandalised and posed a potential danger to the public if used. The replacement part had been ordered from the manufacturers of the play equipment and this contributed to the delay in reopening the play area.
The clerk also told me that the parish council was about to review the 5 play areas it operates throughout the parish area in the near future. This exercise would show which areas were in need of improvement and also give the parish council the opportunity to assess a way forward.
Parking in Hesleden:
Earlier this year I received complaints from residents in the Church Street area of Hesleden about cars driving across or parking on the grass between Church Street and East Terrace which was reported to be causing considerable damage to the area.
At the time I asked officers from the highways section at county hall to take a look at the area and report on ways of resolving this problem. I've also had the opportunity over the summer months to secure limited funding for a fencing scheme at the top of Church Street which ought to be effective in preventing parking and trespass problems as reported by residents.
I intend to revisit this proposed scheme later this year, following the environmental improvements at the former garage site at nearby Hillcrest Place (see posts dated 21 August & 4 September 2012 for further details). In the meantime please let me know if you have any concerns or comments about these issues.