A cash lifeline for play parks as Highland councillors agree to tap unused Covid-19 coronavirus funds to help maintain them; plans had been brought to halt a £100,000 maintenance programme, but Cromarty Firth councillor Maxine Smith argued the play parks were vital for families' physical and mental health at a crucial time
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A LIFELINE has been thrown to Highland play parks which have been neglected during lockdown after councillors agreed to use Covid funding to help maintain them.
Several members had voiced concern that cost saving measures aimed at helping to plug a £11.25 million hole in Highland Council's budget would lead to further deterioration of play parks at a time when outdoor exercise is vital for physical and mental health.
As well as using £10.9 million of council reserves to offset the shortfall, several contingency measures were proposed.
These included holding back – but not scrapping – spending worth £2.6 million on the likes of the Highland Deal, the council's sustainability "change fund", rural transport and play park maintenance.
The latter would have saved £100,000, but fears were raised that withholding the cash could send some play parks into disrepair.
Bringing an amendment aimed at scrapping the proposal – while also opening up Covid-related community health funds for play park maintenance – Cllr Maxine Smith said play areas were a vital lifeline for children and families who had been cooped up during lockdown, and that delaying work risked some sites falling into disrepair
"Don't let children pay for it," she pleaded. "I appreciate play parks are not the biggest issue today but it's extremely important [for children]".
She added that there were already reports of some play parks needing work, and that failing to act now would mean a bigger repair bill in future.
Several other councillors shared her concerns.
But others worried that it was difficult to justify the cost. Cllr Laurie Fraser argued that the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 on council finances made play park maintenance "a luxury we can't afford", adding that open grassy areas meant families could still play ball games even if play areas were shut.
Another amendment by the SNP group would have stopped plans to withhold any of the £2.6 million.
It was defeated 37-27 by Cllr Smith's amendment in a full council vote, before deputy leader Cllr Alasdair Christie asked for a recess to discuss adopting part of Cllr Smith's proposal.
When the meeting resumed councillors agreed that unused money allocated to Covid-related community health measures may be used to help maintain playparks in the interim – owing to their obvious physical and mental health benefits for children and families.
The withholding of the £100,000 will also be re-explored before coming back before the council for a final decision later this autumn, when play park advocates are optimistic the proposal might be shelved.
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