New safer gates

As part of the ongoing park safety upgrades, members of the Amenities, Finance and Administration Committee (AFA) on Monday 26 April, approved the installation of new safer gates at Shawfield Recreation Ground and Carrington Recreation Ground. The new yellow gates are hydraulic and will ensure safe and steady opening and closure. The current spring gates are approaching the end of their expected life and now require replacement as part of planned maintenance for parks managed by Ash Parish Council.

The new Impact Absorbing Safety Surfaces were installed in 2020, which followed routine safety inspections recommending the replacement of existing surfaces and gates.

Inspection

Playgrounds are inspected weekly by APC’s qualified ground staff in addition to quarterly inspections by third-party experts who undertake detailed operational inspections. The parks are also subject to a full annual inspection by another third-party Health and Safety expert to ensure they are all safe and in a useable condition.

Play Safe

Ash Parish Council has also published these Play Safe guidelines on their website:

Play two metres away from others not in your household/bubble
Leave no germs, wash your hands before and after use
Always clean equipment before use
Young children to be supervised carefully to maintain hygiene

Suggested maximum time 30 minutes
And one household/bubble for each item of play equipment
Family members, only one with each child please
End your visit if the play area is busy, or becomes busy, come back another time