Gainsborough Play Park- UPDATED (09/07/20):
As of this morning, the Play Park / Skatepark at Gainsborough is open. The same rules as Springfield apply so please see the notices at the entrance.
Springfield Play Park – UPDATE (07/07/20):
As of this afternoon, the Play Park at Springfeild is once again open for use. Whilst the play park has had a clean today, the equipment will not be regularly disinfected.
Please heed the warning / infomation signs that have been displayed:
- Wash your hands before and after use
- Keep to the 2 metre social distancing rule
- Do not enter the play park if it is already busy
- Do not use the equipment if you’re feeling unwell in anyway
We hope to have Gainsborough play park open for this weekend.
Gainsborough and Springfield Play Parks – Parish Council Statement (03/07/2020):
From July 4th the Government is allowing Play Parks to reopen in line with new government guidance. Having taken time to read this guidance, the Parish Council is concerned about its ability to conform to it. The guidance is written in the same style as guidance given to schools and retail business and puts all the responsibility on to the Parish Council to ensure that the Play Parks are Covid-19 safe.
The common-sense approach would be to say that a Play Park is a Public area and residents that use it would know the risk they are taking by being out in public and using equipment that you cannot expect is being disinfected in anyway. The Parish Council would be happy to take the common-sense approach and re-open the Gainsborough and Springfield Play Parks. However, it is apparent that the responsibility for Covid-19 virus safety cannot simply be passed on to the users of the Play Park and remains with the Parish Council.
At this point in time and until further advice is received, the Parish Council is simply unable to mitigate the risk as the Parish Council does not employ full time staff to be able to police and regularly clean Play Park equipment.
Over the coming weeks it may be possible for Parish Councils across Somerset to share information and we hope to receive further / better guidance from higher authorities. Hopefully, with the information sharing and further advice the Parish Council will be able to conclude that it is possible to safely open both Play Parks.
Of course, the Government may also in time change the national guidelines to put less liability onto the owners of Play Parks. This would also enable the Parish Council to open the Play Parks.
Sadly, for now both the Gainsborough and Springfield Play Parks will remain closed and out of bounds. Anyone entering them is committing trespass and that would be a police matter.
We are sorry that, for now we have had to reach this conclusion, the Parish Council wants nothing more than to see the Play Parks back in full use, but it has to take its responsibilities seriously and the health and wellbeing of residents has to be at the heart of that. We will ensure that as soon as this situation changes that it is well publicised.
