At its meeting on 21 September 2023, the Community Services Committee was updated on the Play Area Programme and how that might be delivered.

View the papers considered by the Community Services Committee.

Extract from Draft Minutes from the meeting

Members were advised that the Council currently maintained 43 play areas across the borough, within Green Spaces and Housing areas.  A full survey had been undertaken to identify where key repairs and/or replacement of individual items of equipment were needed and then to develop a longer term plan for replacement in consultation with local Ward Councillors.

The Committee was presented with a Repairs Budget Expenditure Plan to cover 20 play areas.  Officers reported that surfacing repairs had almost been completed and several other minor repairs not included in the report.  This totalled £195,000. 

Members also received a pre and post consultation list ranking all 43 sites which identified 9 sites in urgent need of attention, 4 of which were in the Egham area, a further 16 classed as amber and the remaining 18 low priority.  This totalled £799,000 to be drawn (subject to approval) from 10 identified areas including Section 106 monies, the Housing Business Unit, Runnymede Pleasure Grounds Trust and Community Services budgets.

Officers advised there was a shortfall of £2,000 which would be covered by the Contingency budget within the Youth Development Fund.  It would also be necessary to carry forward some funding into 2024/2025 as not all the works could be carried out in 2023/2024.

An Equalities Screening Assessment had been completed since drafting the report which identified positive implications for the protected characteristic of age and that accessibility would be an important part of the process.

The Committee agreed that it was an ambitious programme but one which they supported in order to improve facilities for young people in the borough.

Officers were thanked for their inclusive approach and for taking into account Councillors’ views so readily which had made the consultation with them positive and productive.

It was noted that because the capital estimate was above £250,000, Corporate Management Committee would need to recommend approval by full Council on 19 October of recommendation vi) below.

Recommend that –

i)             the proposed health and safety works and play area replacement plan, be approved;

ii)            a capital estimate in the sum of £229,000, be approved for the replacement plan for Surrey Towers, Pooley Green and Hythe Park as set out in table 3 of the report to be funded from the resources set out in table 2, subject to any additional approvals required;

iii)           in approving recommendation ii) above, also agree to release the £100,000 for Play area replacement programme provisions in the capital programme for 2023/24;

iv)           an allocation of £47,000 from the 2024/2025 youth development revenue budget for the play area replacement, be approved;

v)            the virement of the revenue budgets earmarked for the replacement of play equipment to fund the capital expenditure, be approved, noting that this will show in future revenue reports as contributions to capital expenditure on the summary page of the budget; and

Recommend to full Council that –

vi)           a capital estimate in the sum of £565,000, be approved for the replacement plan for the remaining locations set out in table 3 of the report to be funded from the resources set out in table 2, subject to any additional approvals required.

The Committee was pleased to note that there had been cross party and ward member involvement in developing the proposals.

It was resolved that:

1.   The proposed health and safety works and play area replacement plan be agreed.

2.   A capital estimate of £229,000, for the replacement plan involving Surrey Towers, Pooley Green and Hythe Park, as set out in table 3 of the report, to be funded from the resources set out in table 2 (subject to any additional approvals required), be agreed.

3.   The release of £100,000 for play area replacement programme provisions, set aside in the capital programme for 2023/24, be agreed.

4.   An allocation of £47,000, from the 2024/2025 youth development revenue budget for the play area replacement, be agreed.

5.   The virement of the revenue budgets earmarked for the replacement of play equipment to fund the capital expenditure be agreed (noting that this would show in future revenue reports as contributions to capital expenditure on the summary page of the budget).

 The Committee recommended to the Council that:

1.     A capital estimate of £565,000, for the replacement plan involving the remaining locations set out in table 3 of the report, to be funded from the resources set out in table 2 (subject to any additional approvals required), be agreed.

[Members were advised at the Community Services Committee that the capital estimate had been revised.  This was however not captured in the recommendation put before the Community Services Committee, which is what was moved and agreed for communication to the Corporate Management Committee.

The Council is therefore asked to agree a revised capital estimate of £799,000, covering both financial years, for the replacement plan to be funded from the resources set out in table 2 of the officer’s report (subject to any additional approvals required).]