I met up with some Rye mums recently at the Salts to look at the children’s playground. I also had a look at the play areas at Kings Avenue and Masons Field. The mums had contacted me to complain about the children’s playgrounds in Rye – that they are in a pretty poor state, with some equipment missing, and in need of modernising. In addition, the mums highlighted their concerns that the playgrounds are not suitable for disabled children in terms of accessibility or facilities. One lovely mum has a young child with cerebral palsy and she told me that she has to drive to Ashford to access a playground which has play equipment which her wheelchair restricted child could enjoy.
Play areas are vital for children’s mental and physical health, and green and interactive spaces especially, enable children to explore their imaginations and grow their creativity. Playgrounds and green spaces also help to reduce noise, improve air quality and enhance biodiversity too. Our children need to be outdoors, to create a connection with nature and learn about the importance of biodiversity. Playgrounds that combine biodiversity and the right play equipment to interact with nature are the perfect way to achieve this.
Interestingly, some years ago in 2012, the National Trust conducted research which outlined the rise of ‘nature deficit disorder’ and the need for easily accessible interactive and green spaces for children. The survey they carried out showed that 84% of parents believe that playing outdoors makes their children more imaginative and creative, while 96% felt it was important for children to have a connection with nature.
Playgrounds and play areas also have huge potential to provide opportunities for disabled children to be included in their communities, breaking down barriers and building relationships. Non-disabled children benefit too, as they learn so much through playing with disabled friends. Every child needs to play and in order that disabled children are not excluded from playgrounds, accessible and inclusive play spaces are essential.
In addition, studies illustrate that people of lower socio-economic groups reap greater benefits from green spaces in towns and cities than more privileged groups, especially in terms of physical and mental health and social integration. Enhancing our playgrounds and green spaces should therefore be a priority for Rother District Council, especially in our more disadvantaged communities or in housing developments.
Having had a good look at the playgrounds, I agree with the mums who contacted me, and I have raised these concerns with Rother District Council, which owns the play areas. It is also clear that we need to do better as a community in thinking about and creating accessible and inclusive places for children, especially disabled children, to play within a reasonable distance of their home. It really irritates me that when it comes to the Levelling-up Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund or other government funding that the Rother Alliance have generally overlooked our rural areas, especially Rye and the western part of the district, for the past few years. Now that we have a new cohort of elected councillors who are part of the Rother Alliance, I would expect – urge – them to procure a share of the government funding which I have campaigned for and secured, to be spent in Rye and the surrounding villages – including for improvements to our local play areas.
And finally, on the subject of government funding, and as I wrote in my April Rye News piece, having secured funding support for public sector swimming pools from the chancellor, I have urged Rother District Council to apply to Sport England which will deliver the funding, for the necessary financial support for Rye pool – out of the £63 million of new money allocated – and work with Rye Town Council to ensure that all available opportunities are explored in the application process.
Image Credits: Sally-Ann Hart .
What an excellent article from our highest level democratically elected representative. It is a pity that she has got the western and eastern part of the district mixed up, but we know what she surely means.
The previous article in Rye News highlighting the dire state of the playgrounds in Rye has drawn attention to this problem, which is symptomatic of facilities provided in the area compared with those closest to the source of finance, Bexhill. Well done the mums who raised this with our M.P.
It is also surprising that the required annual H & S survey of the playgrounds has not raised the apparent problems which then have to be dealt with, or does RDC just ignore the recommendations.
The De La Warr Pavilion, yes that one again, has been awarded £19.3m for maintenance, some of which has been siphoned off to improve the facilities in Sidley, now that method has been established perhaps just 1% of that money (£193,000), could find its’ way to Eastern Rother to improve the lot of the babies, children and disadvantaged adults who live here.
The DLWP received the money from the Levelling-up Fund, but levelling up appears to be the same as all people being equal, but some are more equal than others. Let’s see some real levelling up.
I agree some of the play facilities around the town need improvement, but otherwise, this is a pretty depressing and cynical missive. Where’s the vision? Where’s the inspiration? Moreover, where’s the admission of responsibility!? After 13 years in power, is Mrs Hart really blaming cash-starved local councils for the state of our public services and facilities? Lastly, I note with some surprise Mrs Hart’s extreme ‘irritation’ re Levelling Up and the Shared Prosperity Fund. (I can think of a lot more issues worthy of irritation, I can tell you!) However, to make my point, we have a Westminster politician using her local platform to take a cheap shot at the District Council as a means of deflecting criticism of the Govt. Don’t we deserve a better, more grown up, less cynical political narrative? What’s equally surprising is that Mrs Hart knows (bcs she was involved and can share some of the credit!) that Chapman’s worked with Rother DC to secure an enormous investment from the Shared Prosperity Fund into Rye’s fisheries only a few months back! I don’t know about others, but I find this endless Punch and Judy performance demeaning to the public. It’s like lazy political elevator music and I’m fairly certain anyone who still actually tunes into politics wants the record changed…
I quote below my response to the RN April article on the subject of playgrounds, and have asked officers for an update. There will be an official Rother response to the current article. Meanwhile Guy Harris (above) sums up my views perfectly.
Cllr Andrew Mier April 28, 2023 At 11:04 am
[Redacted] contacted me about this in late March and I made enquiries of the officer named in the article. On 5 April I emailed [redacted] with the officer’s response the gist of which was this –
“Routine inspections of the equipment are carried out under the grounds maintenance contract three times a week and I believe it would last have been inspected yesterday. In addition, our insurers inspect the equipment annually.
We accept that some of the equipment would benefit aesthetically from being repainted and we are currently obtaining quotes for this. In the meantime, our contractor has carried out a clean of the surfacing and the equipment. [Redacted] also asked about one of the items of equipment at The Salts which has been out of operation for some time. The parts for that item are on order and we also have a ‘springie’ on order to replace one that had to be removed. We are hoping to make some additions, albeit modest, to Masons Field and The Salts during this new financial year … [redacted as may contain personal information]
Devolvement discussions are on-going with Rye Town Council, but there is no agreed date for them to be concluded. “
I think Sally Ann Hart will be even more irritated to discover she is completely wrong about the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Rye Fishmarket benefitted for a substantial grant of well over £100,000 facilitated by Rother Cllr Christine Bayliss, Leader of Rother Labour Group and now joint Deputy Leader of the Council. We are supporting local business in practical ways that bring good jobs.
There are several inaccuracies and incorrect implications in the article but as Guy Harris describes, after 13 years in power the Tories are still punching down rather than taking responsibility for the dire state of local government finances. Let’s hope as her electioneering gathers pace she can at least get the facts right.
‘western part of the district’? It’s the eastern part of the district that concerns us Mrs Hart, there are too many things to list that have been abandoned by Rother.
It’s a great pity that Rye swimming pool has not been mentioned, or taken
up by Mrs Hart
That story has been dropped like a hot potato.
The mental and physical well being of all should be one of her priorities.
In this heat which we are told is only going to continue, cooling off in the water, meeting friends, would be a huge benefit to old and young a like.
Yet still nothing, please correct me if I’m wrong.