Renata, if you're reading.. One o'c club

[Gussy]

>

> Can anyone explain what the posts are for?

> They're too far apart to be used a stepping posts

> (and quite frankly the last ones are too high!),

> just couldn't see what use they are and that

> whatever they cost was a waste of money.

I had this discussion with another mum when I was there a few days ago. Even I wouldn't attempt to 'jump' from one to another - too far apart and too high. My toddler climbed on the first one and that was about it. Have no idea what they are for?

The water was also turned off when I was there, which was a huge disappointment given it was the hottest day of the year. I 'cautiously' asked at the one o clock club staff* and she mumbled something about the turf not taking so they had to turn it off. (i know, doesn't make sense to me either).

*lets face it they're not the friendliest of ladies sometimes(sorry but true)

However, to end on a positive note, the new play equipment currently being put into the side/back bit of the club looks good. I think the swing set will be ok for little ones - need another look.

[vanthorne]

Putting my two cents worth in about the metal poles...I think they are quite dangerous...my 4 year old managed to get up on one of the mid size ones and was doing a pricarious balancing act while I was looking the other way at my younger child .. I managed to catch her before she fell to the ground luckily.

I can only guess by the distance apart they are, and the usual leg span of a child that they are actual meant for full grown youths/young adults...possibly to practise 'free running'...where they jump from pole to pole and do tricks etc...

Not really appropriate at all for the space...and totally agree that the money spent on these hazardous poles could have been better spent elsewhere...and in the mean time they just seem to be a bit of a waste of space.

[Lou]

Guys constructing it said poles were for leapfrog

[Bellenden Jo]

Lou Wrote:

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> Guys constructing it said poles were for leapfrog

They must have been joking surely, maybe the first couple but after that????!!!

[sunbob]

My other half instinctively used them for leapfrog and Just made the last one. He's 6 foot + so not quite sure which children could manage it!

[toast]

Only just seen the new playground, it's not finished so hoping it wilp make sense at some point. Live update, Dog just did a wee in channel, oh dear.

[Gavin Edwards]

I promised on a previous post to come back on the issues of the position of the tap and the fact that the playground is not fenced off.

On the tap: Officers tell me that the position of the tap was designed in response to the initial consultation when there was concern expressed about the tap being in use for 24 hours a day and a preference that it was restricted to the One O?clock Clock opening hours. Personally, I think this needs to be looked at again and moved as the current position doesn't really restrict its use and makes its use (when it 'allowed' to be used) difficult. One (or two or three) of the Peckham Rye Councillors are going to go down to the playground with officers over the next week to talk this over and see what can be done.

Regarding the fencing: There is a bit of history to this. The main source of the funding for the playground was through the Play Builder program. This funding sought to address the gap in play for 8-13 year olds and to also create more risk in play, part of this theory was also eliminate fencing in new play areas to not cage in and over protect children. There are other examples of this at Lucas Gardens, Nursery Row Park and Newington Gardens which were constructed under the Play Builder program. These also don?t have fencing.

Having corresponded with council officers about this they have said that the playground would benefit from more protection on the cycle route side of the play area. This is something that we?ll discuss with them at the site visit.

Regarding the old fencing, I?m told that has been reused to fence the One O'clock Club (although I didn?t spot this when I was down there last week). Apparently, 90% of the fencing has been used for this purpose.

I?ll report back here again after we?ve done the site visit.

Gavin Edwards

Councillor for Peckham Rye Ward

http://peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com/

[The Nappy Lady]

Gavin,

Thank you so much for this, it is much appreciated.

I don't understand the gap in play equipment for 8-13 year olds I must say, I feel the adventure playground meets the needs of this age group very well. Personally I feel the 3-5 year olds are the ones that miss out the most at Peckham Rye - too old to find the 1 o'clock club very exciting, too young for the adventure playground & left with a rather dull & old fashioned play area that hasn't had any new equipment in years.

I also think the logic is odd, as surely parents using the 1 o'clock club are more likely to be there with a child 2-3 years older than an 8 year old??

Regardless of this, it is great to feel you are pursuing some genuine concerns so thank you.

[Gussy]

I agree with everything Molly has said.

Just to add, I saw the workmen installing the 'old' railings behind the back of the new 1 o clock play area today. So at least they are reusing the stuff instead of throwing it away.

[sunbob]

Hello Gavin, thank you very much for your help. Please could I ask you to note/put forward to your colleagues these 2 things?

The tap or fence must be moved in order to provide 'Playbuilder' provision, as 8-13 year olds are not allowed in to the one o clock club to use it.

A very large area of fencing was recently removed from the triangle of grass to the south west of the new playground, could this be retrieved and reused.

Thank you.

[curlykaren]

Gavin/Renata, the old equipment being relocated to the side of the one o'clock club looks like it is going to make a cohesive and well organised play space that users should be able to continue to enjoy but PLEASE sort out the tap and water channel. The tap has not been on since the playground opening day, such a waste of money, I'm not sure if this is due to complaints from club users that children were getting wet or because the further part of the channel SLOPES UP HILL???? and so water is backing up and flooding around the little bridge area.

[katgod]

Chris Cook is the client for this project, an emloyee of Southwark. People are comlaining to the one +'clock club staff about the dogs weeing and pooing in the playground. No point complaining to the staff- email or call Chris Cook at Southwark.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Katgod, the dog issue is being looked into and some physical way to keep the area dop free is being investigated. The kind of thing being looked into at the moment is possibly hedging around the new play area. The tap issue is also being looked into, comments on where it should go welcome. As pointed out by Gavin above, the new equipment is designed for an older agegroup, KS2/3, ie up to 13. The funding source, Playbuilder, was specifically for this age group.

The old 1 oclock club equipment has beeen reinstated and over 95% of the old fencing reused. This is the area still designed for pre-school/foundation stage, ie up to aged 5 (and is fenced). This equipment will be available for use even outside the opening hours of the 1 oclock club. An advantage of this set up is that parent plus toddler can be in the toddler area, while older sibling is closeby in the older children's play area.

Renata

[Gavin Edwards]

Thanks for the comments above. A quick update: I've been down to the playground with officers to talk over some of these issues. They agree that the positioning of the tap is wrong, but told me that it was only put there following comments made during the consultation. Whatever the reasons, I think this needs to be sorted out. Officers are going to come up with a proposal to do this (probably moving the tap). They also said that clearing out the "stream" on a regular basis is important and they will take steps to ensure this happens.

We also talked through the safety issues with the cycle path being so near to the playground. Officers think they can come up with something which maintains the "open" feel of the playground but provides some protection on that side of the playground. Obviously these changes need to be funded, but I am optimistic that the money can be found.

I don't have any further details on this at the moment, but I hope to soon, and I'll post them here when I have them.

Gavin Edwards

Councillor for Peckham Rye Ward

http://peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com/

[katgod]

It is good that you 2 councillors are getting involved and being responsive. The whole play area is ill conceived. I have both a toddler and a KS2 age child. There is nothing there for the older one, except the big swing. And regardless of age I do not want my children playing in an area where dogs are free to crap. Is this some super fast growing hedge Southwark have discovered? It needs a fence, with a gate, now. Not a hedge that will take a year to get established. And how can a hedge cost less than a fence?

[Saffron]

Renata Hamvas Wrote:

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> ...the dog issue is being looked into and

> some physical way to keep the area dop free is

> being investigated. The kind of thing being looked

> into at the moment is possibly hedging around the

> new play area.

But you can't see thru a hedge! If you're sitting on the Common's grassy area, you wouldn't be able to see into the play area to keep an eye on your kids. Plus a hedge needs maintenance. More cost.

>

> The old 1 oclock club equipment has beeen

> reinstated and over 95% of the old fencing reused.

> This is the area still designed for

> pre-school/foundation stage, ie up to aged 5 (and

> is fenced). This equipment will be available for

> use even outside the opening hours of the 1 oclock

> club.

Well that's good at least.

[Ko]

renata/gavin - what happened to the fencing that was removed from goose green? - i recall the middle fence being removed and i assume that it has been kept like that. i believe that goose green falls under the peckham rye ward (pls correct me if i am wrong!)

so could that fencing be re-used? at the time, a big thing was made of saying how that fencing wouldn't go to waste and would be re-used.

[Gussy]

RE: playbuilder and equipment for older children, I'm not quite sure where the mini roundabout fits with this? It's being used mainly by the under 5s as far as I can see. This leads to lots of little ones right by the cycle path and oncoming dogs/bikes etc.

Also, it would be good to have somewhere to sit down. I can see the bench has been reinstated in the club but I also see a lot of parents perching on the balance bars whilst watching their children. Plus my friend had to breastfeed sitting on one of those post things while her toddler was on the roundabout.

Re: dogs, one managed to 'break in' to the 1 o clock club yesterday! It ran around inside the club much to the shock of the parents and children. Most of us saw the funny side and I'm sure it was just a one off, but it had come from next door play area where the owner was sitting (on balance beam!).

Re: tap, perhaps it could go up the other end? So it's at the 'top of the hill'?!

[Saffron]

Gussy Wrote:

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> Also, it would be good to have somewhere to sit

> down.

Gussy, I thought this too. I was recently at the Cafe on the Rye, and of course my toddler kept wanting to run down to the play area. It would be nice to have some benches near the play area! :)

[Renata Hamvas]

I will raise the seating/other suggestions and issues with the council officers working on this project,

Renata

[Renata Hamvas]

Having visited with some equipment testers, I would say that the equipment except for the roundabout which is for any age is suitable for age 4-5 up and not toddlers, but the equipment for younger children has been reinstalled. The height of the highest leap frog post is for a six foot tall child??? I agree that something need to be done to avoid the risk of collision between cyclists and kids, there were no dogs there on my visit, but certainly nothing to keep them away, also no seating. I shall feed back to council officers on this, additionally, the "water feature" was full of leaves!

Renata

[byngo]

How much was spent on installing this playground? It is hugely uninspiring. Yes, there is a swing, a climbing frame and a roundabout but the rest of it looks like it was cobbled together from random building site left overs. The lack of fence around it is also very odd...Why couldn't the whole area, including the space outside the 1 o'clock club, have been turned into a playground to rival the one at the top of Peckham Rye?

[byngo]

Was it really ?120k as I've read earlier in the thread??!!! What an unbelievable waste of money in the current climate...how could such a poor effort possibly cost that much?

[Renata Hamvas]

No Byngo,this was one of the tranches of money set aside for rebuilding of the one O clock club. There is some money left and I will chase up on what were/are the decisions about fencing. This area is designed for older kids than the one O clock club equipment. The children I've observed playing on it seem to be mainly 5-12 year olds.

Renata

[Fuschia]

How much did it cost please, renata?

And how frequently is dog poo picked up there? It's full of it :-(