PLAY AREA PROPOSED FOR TROPICAL WORLD

Brunel · Post by **Brunel** » Sun 16 Jan, 2011 12:48 pm

Click onto the following website to read the article “About My Area, LS8”:http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/West-Yorks ... =inline&zw

Post by **chameleon** » Sun 16 Jan, 2011 2:15 pm

I have only glanced art the article but agree unreservedly that the proposal is ludicrous.Tropical World and its immediate surrounds are attractions in their own right - if trivial extras are needed to entertain those attending, they perhaps can't appreciate what they are seeing and would be better visiting somewhere more in keeping with their real desires

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sun 16 Jan, 2011 4:08 pm

My initial reaction is that it is totally inappropriate to site a play area there. There is ample room for a play area within the confines of the park itself, rather than destroying the ambience surrounding Tropical World.The play area within the park is only a ten minute walk away and, as the article says, is woefully inadequate for both demand and for kids over 5 or 6 in age. We often take our nephews there and even "off peak" there is a queue forming for the swings, etc. During the summer you can just about forget it. Try explaining to a 4 year old that there are 10 kids in front of him for the swings...Or are we to be expected to believe that people on a day out won't walk 10 minutes to take their kids to play? A few prominent, well placed signs are all that is required.If money is available for a play area, I'd suggest it would be much better spent improving and extending the existing play area, leaving the Rose Gardens and Canal Gardens to be a beautiful oasis of peace to be enjoyed by everyone.

Brunel · Post by **Brunel** » Tue 01 Feb, 2011 1:07 pm

It is reported in tonights YEP that the council after pressure from councillors Lobley and Kendall have halted the plans for a play area on the site of the Rose Garden.The council now recognises that the plans would have meant losing not only part of the garden, but a tranquil spot for young and old alike.

Post by **chameleon** » Tue 01 Feb, 2011 8:02 pm

Brunel wrote: It is reported in tonights YEP that the council after pressure from councillors Lobley and Kendall have halted the plans for a play area on the site of the Rose Garden.The council now recognises that the plans would have meant losing not only part of the garden, but a tranquil spot for young and old alike. Good news Brunel - but you do have to wonder why the obvious was not evidently 'obvious' to those initiating the proposal in the first place - perhaps they have yet to visit this amenity

Brunel · Post by **Brunel** » Wed 02 Feb, 2011 12:19 pm

Plans to create a new play area in the rose gardens in front of Tropical World have been stopped after a survey put out by Ward Councillors Val Kendall and Matthew Lobley showed strong opposition to Council proposals.Val said, "We've been to public meetings and arranged for hundreds of questionnaires to be circulated via schools and community groups and the response has been conclusive. We took this unusual step of launching our own survey when we felt the Council hadn't consulted fully enough on their proposals."Matthew said, "The funding available needed to be spent by April this year so pressure was on. We've managed to work around this with a compromise to buy time so we can look at one of a few alternative sites preferred by park users."Plans are in place now to order play equipment before April to meet the funding deadline, but to delay the installation until later in the year after a full consultation is carried out by the Council to find a preferred site. Look out for surveys coming out in the next couple of months.Val commented, "Roundhay Park is one of the very best parks in Europe. As we don't have funding yet for the best play area in Europe we favour a phased approach as funding becomes available. We must thank local residents who have been instrumental in halting what would have been an unpopular plan while supporting the addition of a better play area in the Park."

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Wed 02 Feb, 2011 8:55 pm

Good news that sense has been seen by our elected leaders and the unelected officials who put these ideas forward.As an aside, I walked through Manston Park at the weekend and was surprised to see that the play area there puts the one at Roundhay Park to shame. How does a small, but much valued suburban park tucked away at the far end of Crossgates get a better play area then the biggest and most popular park in the city?