Full News Report
16th February 2025
‘Trespassers’ damage new play park before it opens
SOME equipment on Morval Parish’s new play park has already been damaged – and the area isn’t even open to the public yet.
Reports of three adults and a young person entering the £200,000-plus park at Farriers Way, Widegates without permission and using the items of play have been received by parish councillors whose chairman, Cllr Andy Jackson, said the words ‘highly disappointed’ were inadequate to describe his real feelings of anger and frustration.
The site has CCTV coverage, primarily for the security of the contractors’ gear and there is also a plethora of signage (Health and Safety and the like) so that no-one would have been in any doubt that the area was out of bounds at this stage.
Similarly, just one cursory glance would be enough to see that work on the children’s play park is far from finished.
The Parish Council, whose members have seen pictures of the perpetrators, will be discussing the matter at their March meeting when the Police will also be in attendance.
Said Cllr Jackson: “It has come to my attention that members of the public have been going into the play park.
“This area is still a construction site and the park is not finished.
“The play equipment, though in place, may not be fully secure in the ground as concrete in cold weather takes longer to cure.
“Use of the equipment before it is ready may lead to accidents and weaken the foundations, rendering the equipment unsafe for children to play on in the future.”
The Chairman also reiterated that it was an area for young people “not an adults’ assault course”.
Businessman Richard Liddle, who was instrumental in helping the Parish Council get the long-awaited project over the line and more recently (although not a councillor) has been acting as the de facto works manager, urged the public to head Cllr Jackson’s words.
“We are working hard to get this play park open as soon as possible,” he said.
“I checked the site and found a broken swing and evidence of use.
“I hope everyone can understand that the site remains a building site and unsafe until complete; professionally safety inspected, and handed over to the Parish Council.”
Cllr Jackson added: “Going forward the equipment will have to be inspected before being signed-off as safe including the zipwire which is not yet at full tension and using it beforehand could damage it.
“I do not want to see people being injured so can I respectfully ask people to stay out of the area until such time as it is completed.
“If this request is ignored the Parish Council will seek advice from the police.”
Some members of the public have also taken to social media to express their dismay that anyone, especially adults, could behave in such a fashion.
One said: “We have waited so long for this park. Don’t ruin it for others that are waiting patiently for it to open” while another added: “Can’t believe people have already been in and broken something! Pathetic and disgusting.
“Waited years for this wonderful play park for our kids; be awful if it gets ruined.”
Anyone with information is asked to e-mail the clerk at: clerk@morvalparishcouncil.org.uk