FOI request (FOIR-664318110)

Playground Closures, Vandalism, Injuries, and Inspections

Requested Fri 22 November 2024
Responded Thu 12 December 2024

I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please provide the data for the period from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024:

1. Playground Closures:

- The number of playgrounds permanently closed.

2. New Playgrounds:

- The number of new playgrounds opened.

3. Reports of Vandalism:

- The total number of vandalism reports in playgrounds.

- If available, provide details of the types of vandalism reported (for example, graffiti, damage to equipment, and so on).

4. Number of Injuries in Play Parks:

- The total number of injuries reported in playgrounds, broken down by type of injury.

- If available, a breakdown of injuries by specific equipment (for example, swings, slides, climbing frames, and so on).

5. Inspection Frequency:

- The frequency with which playgrounds are inspected by the council.

Response

1. None

2. None

3. 18 Wooden steps smashed, wooden fencing damaged, safety surface being pulled up, fire damage to safety surfacing, foothold to Springer snapped off, damage to Heras fencing, wooden post snapped, timber components hacked, swing cradle seat damaged, fire damage to timber toddler play item, zip wire seat and single point swing seat dog bitten, inspection cover missing.

4. 3

- Report of child climbing up slide unit and the horizontal metal handle snapped off. Reason - 1 screw out of the 4 missing.

- Child slipped on wet artificial grass ramp then tripped on timber round post upstand edge falling onto floor below to crawling tunnel entrance.

- (Unverified) claim that a person was struck by a closing gate. No accident was reported at the time, an insurance claim was submitted 9 months after the reported date. No evidence was provided, and inspections recorded the gate working correctly.

5. This varies across the playgrounds with sites each allocated an individual inspection frequency which are either daily, three times a week and once a week inspections. Daily for playgrounds maintained by resort services (belonging to Foreshore Trust).