Builders using playpark
From Play park user
Friday, 25 November 2022
I take my child to the Little Park. Why has the builder who promised "The park will not be affected by the apartment project nor do we require access through it" has been allowed to take a large piece of the playpark and the grassed area for his sole use. Children are constantly disturbed by workmen entering the site and moving materials.
The HebWeb doesn't like posting anonymous messages unless there is a good reason. Please would people use a name. Thanks. Ed
From Chris Barnett
Monday, 28 November 2022
It doesn't surprise me that Chris Smith has stopped posting obviously nonsensical comments about the building work not affecting the playground and not needing access through it. There is a doorway, often left open, in the hoarding between the site and the playground, which is surely an accident waiting to happen.
What does surprise me is that there has been no comment or response from any of our elected councillors regarding this totally unacceptable situation, despite several requests from people on this forum. What is going on? I don't usually subscribe to theories about Calderdale and its members and officers doing dodgy deals with developers, but this does look very suspicious. Could I ask yet again for one of our councillors to let us know what this is all about, and why nothing is being done to safeguard the children using the playground.
From Andrew Beck
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
It just goes to show that Hebden Bridge is losing its radical edge. Even a few years ago, that building site would have been occupied by protesters until the work was stopped and the park was made safe.
As it is, we are relying on the frankly indifferent local councilors and the planning department.
From Chris Barnett
Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Andrew has a good point: when this whole business started there seemed to be some action from the Friends of the Little Park, but that seems to have faded away.
The fact remains that we should be able to rely on our elected councillors to represent their constituents, and that clearly isn't happening in this instance.
The development should never have been given planning permission, but that ship has sailed - what we are left with is the situation where the developer is using part of the playground for their site compound and also using the rest of the playground for access to the site, with the obvious health & safety and safeguarding implications.
Our local councillors should, at the vey least, be informing us about what agreements have been made and what measures are in place to ensure that the playground can be safely used by local children.