Cirencester playground "too brightly coloured" to be opened

6:30am Friday 8th February 2013 in News By Laura Shack

Corinium Via residents Lucinda Hill with her children Amber and Ethan, Kate Willett holding Angus Gilman and with her daughters Evie and Maisy, Jessica Hillier and Liz Lloyd with her daughter Isabella by the play area, and equipment inset Corinium Via residents Lucinda Hill with her children Amber and Ethan, Kate Willett holding Angus Gilman and with her daughters Evie and Maisy, Jessica Hillier and Liz Lloyd with her daughter Isabella by the play area, and equipment inset

A NEW playground in Cirencester will not be opened because it is too brightly coloured.

Play equipment at the new Corinium Via estate at Kingshill has been in place since last summer.

But metal barriers surround the park and signs are in place to warn children to keep out.

Some residents have complained the play equipment is too brightly coloured and bigger than developer Redrow had been given permission for.

One homeowner, who did not want to be named, said: "It was supposed to be less than half the size than it is now. It's a complete eyesore from the Burford Road - it looks like a fairground."

Cotswold District Council has said the play area would remain off-limits for now because of the complaints.

Mum-of-two Elizabeth Lloyd, who lives opposite the park, said: "My kids have sat and looked at this for the best part of a year. It’s pretty miserable.

“My view is let’s just get it open. At the end of the day it’s a park and we all bought homes knowing it would be built.”

Mum Shelleigh Bailey, who lives nearby, agreed.

“Someone’s complained about it being too bright. I would understand it if it was some cheap metal play park, but it’s actually very nice.

"I think it’s not seen as Cotswolds enough,” Shelleigh said. “It’s a shame for the kids because they have waited a long time to play on it.”

Her nine-year-old son Jack added: "I wish it was open so I could play on it with my scooter."

A Cotswold District Council spokesman said several objections to the play area had been made and as a result the authority wanted to relocate it elsewhere on the site.

However, formal planning permission was needed before this could be done.

He added: "We're all keen to see the play area opening as soon as possible."

Gavin Hill, Technical Director for Redrow Homes, said: "In response to complaints, Redrow has agreed with residents and Cotswold District Council to adjust the colour of the equipment and move a few play items further away from dwellings.”

Comments(44)

bobirving says...
9:01am Fri 8 Feb 13

Been driving past it for years now. Wondered why it wasn't being used. Surely after all this time the objectors have got used to the sight of it. What a pathetic reaction from CDC planners and such a waste of money.

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sdigzz says...
9:19am Fri 8 Feb 13

Thanks for letting us know why this hasn't been opened as I can finally answer my child's regular questioning on why it 'still' isn't open. "A few people don't like the look of it so so all the children around here aren't allowed to use it and have fun". Actually it's worse than that as they have been teased with it for over a year and they are still no closer to getting to use it. This has really made me mad, selfish people!

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Worcester Lad says...
11:07am Fri 8 Feb 13

Some people will complain about anything.LET THE CHILDREN PLAY.Or should we complain that you are upsetting the children.KILL JOY'S

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suejo44 says...
12:44pm Fri 8 Feb 13

what an absolute load of tosh! another of NIMBY mentality here I think.

they were never children playing on brightly coloured equipment i suppose.

I would think this is more to do with the fact they just don't want children playng near them, shame on them I say. No wonder they wanted to remain hidden. Pfft.... children have few places to go as it is, leave it where it is and let the children play.

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Iansky says...
2:34pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Oh My God - I think this is a case of beaurocracy gone mad and for over a year the only people who have suffered are the children.
The area is for the children not the adults and bright play areas played upon do tone down with use.
I suggest the person moaning about the brightness is someone without children - for goodness sake, get a life!

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Tomdog says...
4:25pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Oh hell here we go again hand wringers and moaners and groaners what do they want the playground to be painted sage green or like some eastern block country of the soviet era drab and dull. Come pull the barriers down let the children play see there smiling faces. The mentality of some people is unbelievable come on just let the children play.

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Tomdog says...
4:34pm Fri 8 Feb 13

No doubt the fencing around the playground is being hired from a fencing firm at what cost, astronomical cost who is paying you can bet it's us the good citizens of Cirencester. Come on one last plea get that fence down. Let the children play.

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Trend says...
5:07pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Oh my goodness a play area that is bright what ever next houses that have doors. How ridiculous and shame on CDC for letting this farce continue.

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sdigzz says...
6:25pm Fri 8 Feb 13

In case anyone can't tell if it is too bright by the photo in the article, here is a link to another photo. It is mainly wooden, with 3 primary colours. https://twitter.com/
TweedyClown/status/2
99943254147862528/ph
oto/1/large

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sdigzz says...
6:26pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Sorry link doesn't seem to work.

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Council Taxpayer says...
11:15pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Time for the useless planners at CDC to sort out this fiasco which is yet again making the council a laughing stock with 700+ adverse comments in the Daily Mail.
Half term started in Cirencester today and all the children on the estate in question are still banned from their playground. Some families with kids moved in two years ago with a promise that the playground would soon be available and this is simply cruel to those children.
The sad thing is that children in houses only a few doors away from each other have still not really had a chance to mingle in this playground and to forge friendships.
I trust that councillors will now establish exactly what planning consent was given, whether the playground actually complies and, if it does, insist that this nonsense ends now and the fences are taken down without further delay.
In the end though, it is all about money. The houses next to the playground had an automatic price discount built in because of their position. Allowing those purchasers who always knew there would be a playground to now move play equipment and disadvantage other families on the estate will result in unfair financial betterment by enhancing the values of their homes.
They know what they are doing - it is cynical, greedy and, thanks to the Daily Mail's follow up of the WGS scoop, is now a national disgrace.

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podge22 says...
11:24pm Fri 8 Feb 13

I am a resident in this estate and the other homeowners complaining about it being to "large" or "bright" are rediculous! Whatelse are they going to do with the area? We all knew when buying our properties what was being built. The only forseeable problem with this is the lack of parking issue due to non residents driving to the park for its use. Please see sence people.

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Velvety says...
7:52am Sat 9 Feb 13

As an outsider looking in, all I can say is .....What a sad state of affairs! The world today is far too dull - nice to see a splash of colour to cheer every-one up. So what if it a little bigger than people thought, seems there's plenty of room. Shame the objectors have nothing better to do than deprive children of somewhere safe to play.

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Crispin Mount says...
8:46am Sat 9 Feb 13

A public question was first raised at Cotswold District Council's October 2011 Meeting on this matter...lots of warm words offered as an answer....no action.

The story is all over The Sun and Daily Telegraph today.

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Council Taxpayer says...
10:46am Sat 9 Feb 13

The Song of the Cotswolds

Cancel Easter, cancel Christmas
Take their toys away
They're frightful little horrors
Why should we let them play?

Willow green is de rigueur
Or so planners say
But we'd go one step further
And paint the whole world grey

Let's crush the blighters underfoot
Until they're old and grey
And never let them out of doors
That's not the Cotswold way

The Nimby class is on the rise
It's plainly clear to see
We'll build a new world order
Where the cry is "Me! Me! Me!

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Olly Cromwell says...
12:36pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Perhaps the fencing will be removed in time for the kids holidays.That wind is very strong today.

Where's the harm? (a la Lake 31 for our more informed readers).

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123Referee says...
12:43pm Sat 9 Feb 13

How about a little "Direct Action",

Rip down the fence and play.

CDC your time is up you are embarrasing and incompetant.

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rotax17 says...
3:15pm Sat 9 Feb 13

I think the residents should form an action group and "take action" ie take the fence down and commence play!! I'd love to see CDC take them to court , imagine what the press would do then !! Or would the miserable complainers prefer to see the kids cross the busy roads on there own to visit another park ? This stinks!!

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Jessica Rabbit says...
4:30pm Sat 9 Feb 13

This has made me mad!!!! Take the rails down, stuff the moaners and LET THE KIDDIES PLAY!!!! What world do we live in when folk want to complain about the COLOUR of play equipment... GET A LIFE!! Shall we stop people parking their cars in the area if they are BRIGHT too??? What utter idiots.

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corin2 says...
5:38pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Have seen this estate being built and sorry to tell those objectors to the playground, you live in a standard new build estate. NOT upmarket, not exclusive, no different to any other in cirencester, so climb down off your pedestal and get on with life

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Union Man says...
6:46pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Put in a FOI request for the objectors names and addresses and name and shame them. Children not Nimbys.
Good Poem Council Taxpayer or should that be Al Sepert,.

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Pentheus says...
10:41pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Yet another diktat from ze command bunker in Trinity Road.......don't forget it was people like that that built walls !

What an absolute bunch of fascists and mean spirited people they are ..

Time for some civil disobedience remove the fences and let children enjoy the facilities....

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Council Taxpayer says...
12:02am Sun 10 Feb 13

Thanks for your kind words Union Man. Actually, I was inspired to write a few verses after the comedienne and poet, Pam Ayres, tweeted her disgust at what is happening.
But Al Sepert's position as poet in residence is safe. I doubt I will attempt any more verse.
Can't you knock some sense into them at Trinity Road?

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Bert Wilkins says...
7:56am Sun 10 Feb 13

Probably the same idiots moaning that say the road with cars on is too loud.

Fifty years in this town and I have never felt so ashamed at some of the small minded people that now reside here.

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irokasaz says...
8:25am Sun 10 Feb 13

These complainers are the real anti-social individuals. They should be named
so that their activities can be monitored.
If they were counted you will see that they are few, i believe less than five !
But the wishes of hundreds don't count !
That's democracy in action!!

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Nigel Robbins says...
1:10pm Sun 10 Feb 13

It is an outrage for several reasons. CDC has allowed a development of this scale to be built without its own facilities. The one and only facility has been mothballed for months. The developer caves in to a few grumblers and the District Council leaders prefer to support them rather than the .families.They are not fit to be parents, let alone our representatives

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Council Taxpayer says...
5:04pm Sun 10 Feb 13

Actually Nigel, there was another facility that was promised by the two developers at Corinium Via and Centuria before it mysteriously disappeared - a convenience store near the entrance to save on unnecessary car trips down to Tesco.
That was fouled up by the CDC planners as well because the developers were given a get-out clause (popular with the creeps at Trinity Road) that allowed the shop site to be turned over to more lucrative housing if an operator was not found within a short time span. Conveniently, no tenant was found and a row of expensive houses is now nearing completion on the site.
We really do need somebody to come in and clean out the Augean stable that is CDC's planning department. Coupled with the shady practices over the tens of millions of pounds of holiday home development and gravel extraction in the Water Park and the cosy relationship between senior figures at CDC and the jumped-up little crook, Dennis Grant, who is now in jail, the stench hanging over this area is nauseating.

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shipscat says...
7:15pm Sun 10 Feb 13

All a bit sad really why do the objectors hate children so much?

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JGH says...
9:39pm Sun 10 Feb 13

shipscat wrote:
All a bit sad really why do the objectors hate children so much?
Perhaps it's not a case of objectors hating children, what we have to remember is no group of people regardless of age, gender etc etc should receive preferential treatment over another because if they do you have discrimination, simple as.

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esse quam viderie says...
11:22am Mon 11 Feb 13

Sorry JGH, I don't follow your argument in these particular circumstances.

As I understand it the objectors bought their houses AT A DISCOUNT because they are near the play park. Surely any fair minded person would say that they cannot now complain about it.

the crux of the matter would seem to be that yet again CDC has shot itself in the foot.

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libby_c says...
3:23pm Mon 11 Feb 13

So we complain about children staying in front of the TV/computer all day and that they're not out running around and playing in parks, then we stop them from doing exactly that. I bet it's the same people who are guilty of both of those as well. What a world we live in...

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sdigzz says...
5:01pm Mon 11 Feb 13

Latest article in the Standard says CDC have said it will be relocated and painted. So how long will we have to wait now for the children to play on it and is it being relocated to another site and if so where is that? http://www.wiltsglos
standard.co.uk/news/
10220142.Council_app
roves_repainting_of_
_too_bright__playgro
und/

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Iansky says...
5:16pm Mon 11 Feb 13

If CTC & CDC put as much effort into sorting out the town parking (reducing costs & clearer signage) as they have on this fiasco, we may have a town centre with potential for growth rather than one that is dying a death.
By the time the relevant parties react, we will have a nice town centre and no shops except charity / estate agents / coffee & phone shops left!
This looks like another case of Nimby's who had a concession on their house purchases are now coming out of the woodwork to complain about the colour of a playground - get a life!
We also need a change of leadership (mayor) for someone who "has a pair" and the person who fills that criteria after their forthright and outsanding performance over the proposed street parking is Councillor Joe Harris - deputy Mayor, I say fire the existing uselss incumbent and give Joe the job we will then have a man who will stand up for the towns people and look closely at those in power and their potential for underhand dealings!

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Nigel Robbins says...
5:33pm Mon 11 Feb 13

To Lansky I say ' I agree with you about leadership but you mustn't blame the Town Council, who have no powers over Planning issues. The lack of leadership is in the District Council (CDC). The Conservative leaders do not live in or represent Cirencester and...yes.. they still have questions to answer about the Water Park. I find it hard to believe that CDC and its planning department could cave in so easily to a small minority of complainants.
I'd like to declare an amnesty and ask those who complained to withdraw their complaints.We would forgive you...no hard feelings. I just dont think you realised what a hornets' nest you were stirring up.

Why doesnt the CDC Planning process appear on TV's The Planning People? We would then get some entertainment out of what appears to be a sorry mess.

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esse quam viderie says...
6:05pm Mon 11 Feb 13

As Mr Robbins has already explained this is a mess of CDC's making. As I understand it the Town Council is a consultee but has nothing to do with the decision.
The Mayor of Cirencester is a civic position and whoever the incumbent is he/she only has 1 vote out of 15 as does the deputy Mayor. There is no cabinet and no "leadership" involved so nasty comments about a particular individual are unfair,
There are many of us who wish that CDC still worked with every councillor making the decisions rather than just a few from one political party!

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Iansky says...
8:51am Tue 12 Feb 13

esse quam viderie wrote:
As Mr Robbins has already explained this is a mess of CDC's making. As I understand it the Town Council is a consultee but has nothing to do with the decision. The Mayor of Cirencester is a civic position and whoever the incumbent is he/she only has 1 vote out of 15 as does the deputy Mayor. There is no cabinet and no "leadership" involved so nasty comments about a particular individual are unfair, There are many of us who wish that CDC still worked with every councillor making the decisions rather than just a few from one political party!
My "nasty comments" as you point out are directed not just because of this fiasco, but based on a minimum of 3 occasions where I have seen that same individual who should have demonstrated clear leadership and a positive attitude, portray nothing but lethargy and timidness, regardless of their voting power, as the established figurehead they should be demonstrating "Leadership".
My previous comments did mention CDC and one of the major frustrations of many others ( I know from the meetings I have attended) is the fact the majority do not live in the town yet play a major part in decisions affecting the town!
I am still convinced we need new young blood to break the current straglehold and cronyism endemic in our current sets of decision makers who are slowly but surely draining the lifeblood out of Cirencester.

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walterparkgate says...
2:16am Wed 13 Feb 13

I really feel this criticism of Cirencester Town Council has got out of hand, There is no lack of Leadership at 14 Park Street, on the contrary there is a clear vision for the future of the town as a hole.
The Jewell in the crown of the Cotswolds with an unrivalled selection of charity shops,a weekly market, Lidl and poundland to attract the discerning shopper, and a busy nightime scene of bars and late night food shops the veritable beating heart in the midst of the countryside, beating to the rhythm of heavy metal, garage, house, an exciting oasis of gaiety in an ocean of conservatism.....

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MR DOBBY says...
11:42am Wed 13 Feb 13

YOU SAY THERE IS NO LACK OF LEADERSHIP, WELL I THINK, YOU WILL FIND CTC LEADERSHIP IS LEADING US THE WRONG WAY, CAN`T THEY GET THE MESSAGE FROM THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER.
IF MR TUBB HAS NO WORRIES HE WILL HAVE A REFERENDUM AND THE PEOPLE WILL SPEAK.

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Iansky says...
1:54pm Wed 13 Feb 13

walterparkgate wrote:
I really feel this criticism of Cirencester Town Council has got out of hand, There is no lack of Leadership at 14 Park Street, on the contrary there is a clear vision for the future of the town as a hole. The Jewell in the crown of the Cotswolds with an unrivalled selection of charity shops,a weekly market, Lidl and poundland to attract the discerning shopper, and a busy nightime scene of bars and late night food shops the veritable beating heart in the midst of the countryside, beating to the rhythm of heavy metal, garage, house, an exciting oasis of gaiety in an ocean of conservatism.....
Oh my Goodness - this must be a sarcastic quip - The jewel in the crown qith an unrivalled selection of charity shops / Lidl / poundland!! What was once a great market town with a good variety of enterprising privately run business premises, now diminishing on a regular basis.
My wife runs a very small shop in town and takings have dropped dramatically and by at least 60%, when she questions customers, the biggest complaint is Parking - lack of clearlt defined car parks coupled with extortionate pricing so no incentive to come to Ciren when they can go to other small villages ( Minchin Hampton) and towns where parking is free / much cheaper than Ciren.
Many of the regular market stall owners no longer come as trade has made it no longer viable so I do wonder when the CTC will wake up and realise their parking charges have the greatest effect on lack of visitors leading to more shop closures.
The things that brings in visitors, is a good variety of family run shops coupled with easy to find and suitably priced parking close to town - the 2 major things we are without and a factor that is making my wife consider closing after 7+yrs of trading in town!

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Olly Cromwell says...
4:37pm Wed 13 Feb 13

The car parking charges are the sole responsibility of Conservative Cotswold District Council as is this planning mess.

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Iansky says...
5:30pm Wed 13 Feb 13

I am sure that at the meeting I attended where the Mayor and others were present, it was clarified that car parks in Cirencester Town were the remit of the Town Council and street parking was the remit of the County Council?

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esse quam viderie says...
7:02pm Wed 13 Feb 13

Sorry lansky, I also was at the meeting and I think that you must have misheard. On-street parking is, as you say, the responsiblity of GCC. But off-street parking in the public pay and display car parks is the golden egg of the Cotswold District Council.

It is the fact that CDC makes £2 million pa from the extortionate charges in these car parks then uses the profits for the benefit of people in Chipping Camden, Blockley etc that makes this whole business so wrong.

The public meeting in the Corn Hall was organised by Cirencester's own Town Council to help inform their response to the so-called parking strategy. At the end of the meeting this was unanimously thrown out by our own councillors after apologies from the only Tory, Councillor Burgess

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Olly Cromwell says...
7:03pm Wed 13 Feb 13

No the car parks are the remit of CDC.

Anyway, Cllr J Burgess (Con) is the Cabinet Member who voted for higher car parking charges. He also happens to be the County Councillor for Cirencester and a Town Councillor.

Oh, and he's a Ward member for the Beeches too.

I don't think many people have seen him lately.

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Bert Wilkins says...
11:35am Thu 14 Feb 13

Sick of all this It's the council, It's the major, No it's planning.
I am sure many of you posting hold positions of authority but hide behind psydonems as you don't have the backbone to do anything more than bicker with each other.
You know who you are and you are a disgrace.

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