Agenda item

Consider report by Service Director Assets and Infrastructure.  (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Assets and Infrastructure as requested by the Members’ Sounding Board.  Following the Audit & Scrutiny Committee meeting on 24 October 2019, the outcome of which was subsequently considered at a Members’ Sounding Board meeting on 5 November 2019, the report set out a proposed process for further engagement on proposals for the decommissioning of some play equipment in some play parks within the Scottish Borders.  This was integral to the planned future investment in Public Play facilities and proposals, agreed as part of the 2018/19 Capital Investment Plan and updated within the Capital Investment Plan 2019-20. The report explained that the 2019/20 Capital Investment Plan currently included funding of £5.036m into Outdoor Community Spaces over a 10-year period.  This investment aimed to unlock community aspirations in this area and would create high quality destination play parks, as well as facilities for skating and small wheels, youth shelters and opportunities for people of all ages to take part in physical activity. Investment in these destination play parks had already completed in Galashiels, Harestanes, Selkirk, Hawick, Coldstream and Kelso with Peebles currently being procured.   The new investment created a financial burden and, in order to ensure a cost neutral impact of the investment to the Parks & Environment service, a programme of decommissioningof aged and underutilised play equipment was also to be implemented.  Council had agreed in May 2018 to review the distribution of play equipment provision across play parks in the Borders, which could inform decision making around future investment in communities and guide the rationalisation of play facilities which were deemed no longer fit for purpose, ensuring a cost neutral impact on established budgets with the service. This review resulted in proposals to decommission equipment in 74 play parks, based on assessment criteria that included location and context, play value (quality) and usage – thereby ensuring cost neutrality and the continuity of maintenance and investment across the remaining play parks.  Scottish Borders Council had received 2 petitions opposing these proposals in Kelso and Hawick respectively, which were both heard at the Audit & Scrutiny Committee on 24 October 2019.  The Committee decided to recommend to Council the following;

“that Scottish Borders Council re-assesses its original decision made on 31 May 2018 in relation to the capital programme 18/19 and investment in play areas and outdoor community spaces to ‘delegate authority to the Service Director Assets and Infrastructure, after consultation with local Members, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Legal Officer, to declare play parks obsolete or those surplus to requirements and arrange for the removal of equipment and disposal, if appropriate.’  The Service Director should be requested to prepare a fully costed report on options for future and existing play park provision for consideration at the next meeting of Council.”

A Members’ Sounding Board meeting, comprising representatives from each of the political groups, was convened on 5 November 2019 to consider a way forward and the report set out their considerations.  Members welcomed the report and that the recommendations addressed the concerns expressed by communities.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)     to note the findings of the Audit & Scrutiny Committee and the Members’ Sounding Board;

(b)     that officers undertake a series of meetings, on a ward by ward basis, with all Members of that Ward, with detailed proposals indicating which play equipment was intended to be removed and which would be retained as part of a future programme of planned investment and upgrades; and

(c)     that, following these meetings, the Service Director Assets & Infrastructure would bring a further report initially to the Members’ Sounding Board on the way forward for play parks.