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£60m pledge to renew “every” play park - “compromise wording” agreed to give councils “flexibility” to determine where funding will be targeted ?
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TOPIC: £60m pledge to renew “every” play park - “compromise wording” agreed to give councils “flexibility” to determine where funding will be targeted ?

£60m pledge to renew “every” play park - “compromise wording” agreed to give councils “flexibility” to determine where funding will be targeted ? 2 years, 7 months ago #1

  • RM64
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16/8/2021

Published Daily record On Line -

News Politics SNP

Leaked document shows SNP Government pledge on renewing play parks has been 'revised'

The £60million pledge to renew “every” play park was included in the SNP's manifesto for the Holyrood election.

By Paul Hutcheon Political Editor, Daily Record

04:30, 11 AUG 2021 Updated 04:31, 11 AUG 2021

Council chiefs have claimed the SNP’s flagship policy on sprucing up every play park has been “revised” after high-level talks.

A leaked document shows changes to the “scope and flexibility” of the promise amid funding concerns.

The £60million pledge to renew “every” play park was included in the SNP ’s manifesto for the Holyrood election.

After winning the election, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it had been a commitment that “penetrates beyond the political bubble”.

However, a confidential paper by council umbrella group COSLA reveals the body told the Government £60million was not enough and raised the “impracticability” of refurbishing all play parks.

It said “compromise wording” was agreed which gave councils “flexibility” to determine where the funding would be targeted.

The “revised” wording states: “It is recognised that the extent of renewal, and refurbishment will vary across the whole play estate and will be influenced by local plans and investment priorities and engagement with children and young people.

“However, Ministers expect that the whole play estate will be considered and all play parks that have been identified for refurbishment in line with nationally agreed principles and influenced by local plans and investment priorities will be refurbished...”

COSLA also told the Government there will be times where a refurb is “inappropriate” due to critical maintenance needing to be the priority.

The paper quoted Ministers agreeing to “consider” the case for extra funding beyond the £60million.

Another part of the leaked document claimed a definition of play park had been agreed: “Local authority owned, managed or maintained sites, designated for play, which are free to access and open to all”.

The definition focuses on the 0-14 age range and excludes multi-use game areas (MUGAs).

The Record understands council leaders backed the refurb plan in light of the paper saying the policy had been “revised”.

A council source said: “It has been scaled back.”

Scottish Labour MSP Mark Griffin said: “We are not even 100 days into this term and the SNP are already abandoning their election promises.

“Scotland’s play parks are in desperate need of renewal because of this government’s brutal cuts to Council budgets.

This government funding was only ever about fixing a problem they created – and now they’re not even doing that.”

COSLA declined to comment.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As part of the government’s 100 day commitments, we have said that we will agree the first allocation of funding to councils for refurbishment of play parks.

Our expectation is that the consideration process agreed with Cosla will deliver this commitment.

We hope to make an announcement soon.”

Re: £60m pledge to renew “every” play park - “compromise wording” agreed to give councils “flexibility” to determine where funding will be targeted ? 2 years, 7 months ago #2

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16/8/2021

Cllr David MacDonald has posted on his facebook page -

Cllr David Macdonald - An Independent voice for people.

20 hrs ·

At May's Scottish parliament election many of you will remember the SNP's election manifesto pledge to "refurbish every children's park in Scotland".
I welcomed such a bold pledge.

It is, therefore, disappointing to read that the newly formed Scottish Government are now, seemingly, changing the goalposts on this commitment now that they have won another term in government.

I will remain optimistic that East Renfrewshire Council will receive the funds they have been promised, along with every other one of the 32 local authorities throughout Scotland, in order to roll out a comprehensive refurbishment programme prior to the next national election in 2026.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/leak...-government-24731083

Re: £60m pledge to renew “every” play park - “compromise wording” agreed to give councils “flexibility” to determine where funding will be targeted ? 2 years, 7 months ago #3

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Subsequent comments/posts -

- I’d read the article. It’s COSLA demanding the changes, not the Gov rolling back on the policy. The funding should be welcome, and it should be ring fenced. But it was a poor choice of words.

So you want the Gov to overrule councils in an area they control? If it needs extra money, fair enough.

But should councils have to refurb parks which don’t need it? Or are planned to be removed/moved? Should they focus the money on those that need it?
19h

- Big surprise it should be law that the winning government should have to fulfil their promises
12h

- Well done in highlighting this reversal David it was a aparent to a lot of people that the promises at election would be hard to pull off and probably electioneering fakery
9h

- Did you read the article?
2h

- There's something fishy about the £1.5m in funding for Glasgow City Council Park amenities that was announced the other week - the very same week, my local park had 63% of the bins removed - from 27 bins, to 10!

Apparently this has happened in a lot of locations in GCC.

Is this part of the same award scheme?

www.glasgowlive.co.uk/.../glasgow-parks-most...
20h

- East Ren have also removed bins from parks. You notice it walking the dog.
19h

- Surprise surprise
20h

- Imagine my surprise
8h
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