Half of all playparks in Angus are facing closure, The Courier can reveal.
A total of 50 of the county’s 100 play areas are in line to be removed if Angus Council’s neighbourhood services committee approves a report recommending they be scrapped.
The local authority stands to save £31,500 from the move per year. However, it would cost an estimated £140,000 to take out equipment and reinstate the sites.
With the projected saving equating to just £630 per park each year, it would be more than four years before the cost of the exercise was recouped to the council budget.
The number of items of play equipment available to families would drop from 654 to 483, despite the fact that the facilities at more than half of the parks earmarked for closure have been rated either ”good” or ”fair”.
An overall review of children’s play area provision categorised the under threat play parks as either obsolete, uneconomic to repair or failing to meet current standards.
Most of those facing the chop are in local housing areas or minor park locations and major parks and most rural locations will be unaffected.
It currently costs £119,600 per year to inspect and repair all 100 play areas and that would drop to £88,100 if the cuts are made.
In his report to committee, director of neighbourhood services Ron Ashton said user trends suggest there is limited use of parks that have older equipment or fewer items.
He said: ”Due to the ongoing budget reductions facing Angus Council, there is an ever-increasing need to reduce costs, including those associated with the maintenance and replacement of the overall physical assets held by the council.
”Playparks, in particular, require daily and weekly safety inspection of each individual item of play equipment and associated surfacing to ensure the safety of users.
”In the current financial climate facing the council, the future maintenance and safety costs associated with all of the current play areas in Angus is no longer sustainable, given the combination of the equipment’s age, condition, location and play value.”
Over the past few years the council has invested heavily in the redevelopment of the Splash in Montrose, Blue Seaway in Monifieth, Sandy Sensation in Carnoustie and recently Neverland at the Hill in Kirriemuir.
The closure proposals are subject to a public consultation which will affect the final plans and will seek views on the potential future use of any cleared sites.