Frustrated residents in the south of Bath are calling for the popular Hillcrest Field children’s play area to be reopened as soon as possible, after B&NES Council closed the space several months ago.
The closure was due to safety concerns linked to the construction of a bungalow on an adjacent plot.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Southdown) commented: “The Hillcrest Field play area is popular with families and usually gets a lot of use, particularly when local children are on school holidays.
“Young people and their parents helped with the design, about a decade ago, and it is a quite informal space which encourages adventurous play.
“This closure during the building works has now gone on too long. Parents living in the area, including Hillcrest Drive and Sladebrook Avenue, are getting increasingly impatient and angry. The play area must be reopened now so that local children can enjoy it over the summer holidays.”
Councillor Dine Romero (Southdown) added: “As ward Councillors, we have been hearing from an increasing number of residents about this closure, over the last few weeks and have been asking the Council to take action.
“Why can’t at least part of the play area be re-opened now, given that the bungalow building works are at an advanced stage? It’s frustrating that nothing seems to be happening.
“Another issue is that the Council has not been cutting the grass inside the play area during the closure. This has given the space an air of neglect and has encouraged antisocial behaviour including people drinking alcohol and leaving litter and broken glass. A clean-up will be needed before the space is fit for use.
“We have been questioning Council officers closely about the timetable and have asked for a quick response. The school holidays have started and the play area is needed now; not in September.”
After repeated requests for a statement, Bath & North East Somerset Council have not come back to the Bath Echo at the time of publishing.
