The Friends of Lostock Park, local councillors and local residents using the play area have been left devasted after the repeated vandalism of the swing in much loved Lostock Park.
The cradle seats on the swings have been damaged several times, by some dog owners who let their dog use them as chew toys. This has left the swings unusable and unsafe. The One Trafford Partnership, which is responsible for the maintenance of play areas, takes health and safety very seriously.
This means the bucket seats have had to be replaced after each incident, which has cost the partnership over £1200 this year alone. In the worst cast so far, the swings were vandalised just one day after being replaced, just as school holidays began. This year, 12 cradle seats and four flat seats have had to be replaced in Lostock Park.
Due to vandalism alone, a total of 37 bucket seats have been replaced in Trafford this year. Across the borough, acts of vandalism have cost in excess of £9000 in the first 8 months of the year. Friends and maintenance teams are finding more seats damaged each week, which means the figure is likely to increase. The swing seats at Lostock Park have been replaced, but with budget constraints it is not possible to replace anymore until the new financial year.
Friends of Lostock Park, together with local councillors, are appealing to dog owners to keep dogs out of play areas and to report to Greater Manchester Police by calling 101.
Cllr Stephen Adshead, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Environmental Services said:
“We work hard to keep our parks and open spaces maintained to a good standard for all to enjoy. The damage caused by this vandalism is very disappointing to see and makes the area unsafe for small children to play in. I would urge dog owners to do the right thing and keep their dog under control and keep them out of the play area.
"Our teams will always look to repair broken or failed equipment as part of their maintenance work, and I am happy to say that the cradle swings have all been replaced. However, the time, money, and resources the partnership spends dealing with damage like this, could be better spent elsewhere.”
Where a maintenance repair is not possible, issues will be added to the list for capital improvement works. Each year a list of planned improvements to play equipment across the borough is set. The programme for this year has already been determined and due to budget constraints, can't accommodate any new projects. The list of this year’s programme can be found at www.trafford.gov.uk/betterparks
Residents who become aware of new issues with play equipment, should continue to report it to us on the Trafford Council website. Any acts of vandalism can be reported directly to Greater Manchester Police by calling 101.
Posted on Monday 3rd October 2022