Planned improvements to 11 parks and playspaces around the city are having to be put on hold as a result of Government spending review.
Brighton & Hove City Council, along with other local authorities, has been told with immediate effect by to halt spending under the Playbuilder scheme until further notice.
The council is in the second year of the Playbuilder scheme to redevelop 22 playgrounds funded through a £1.1 million Government grant. Work on 11 parks has already been completed, but 11 more were due to be improved this year. Consultation and design work has been carried out, but construction has not yet started.
Council Leader Mary Mears said: "We have worked closely with residents in the areas involved to improve these parks and playspaces and it is very disappointing to have to put the plans on hold.
“Until we receive further information from the Government regarding the funding we have to put the project on hold, but we can assure residents that we are committed to providing high quality playspaces for children will be exploring all options available to us."
The parks affected are:
· Barn Rise
· Bexhill Road
· Coldean (Wolseley Road)
· East Brighton Park
· Easthill Park
· Happy Valley
· Hodshrove Wood
· Mackie Avenue
· Saltdean Oval
· Whitehawk (Near St Cuthman’s Church)
· Whitehawk (North)
Work will continue with as planned to improve the playgrounds at Stoneham Park, St Ann’s Well Park, Wish Park and Tarner Park which are funded by Section 106 developer’s contributions.
You will be aware that we are in the second year of the Playbuilder scheme to redevelop 22 playgrounds funded through a £1.1 million grant.
The funding for the current financial year is £597,537 capital and £18,187 revenue funding used to fund a temporary post to help deliver the project.
We have just received a letter from the Department of Education instructing us to not incur any additional costs on the project at this stage. The letter states:
With immediate effect and until further notice, all of these local authorities should avoid incurring any new contractual liabilities in relation to their play capital grants.
The Department will cover the cost of expenditure already incurred for completed sites and sites where groundworks / construction has already commenced.
However, we will need to review contractual commitments already entered into in relation to sites where groundworks / construction have not yet commenced. We hope to allow authorities to progress these projects, although this will be conditional on our ability to make the required savings from projects that are not yet contracted.
We have completed consultation and finalised designs on all sites; detailed designs are being drawn up now and we have completed Tender Pre-qualification Questionnaires for build contractors but have not yet commenced any construction work. The sites affected are:
· Barn Rise
· Bexhill Road
· Coldean (Wolseley Road)
· East Brighton Park
· Easthill Park
· Happy Valley
· Hodshrove Wood
· Mackie Avenue
· Saltdean Oval
· Whitehawk (Near St Cuthman’s Church)
· Whitehawk (North)
Until we receive further information from the Department of Education we have to put the project on hold. They have indicated that they intend to confirm how we are to proceed by the end of August.
Work will continue with as planned to improve the playgrounds at Stoneham Park, St Ann’s Well Park, Wish Park and Tarner Park which are funded by Section 106 developer’s contributions.
Please find attached copy of press release which is going out today.
Kind regards
Linda
Linda Anglin
Projects Manager – Cityclean / City Parks
