'£400.00' Dickens Walk Play Area Swings Decommissioned, the result of repeated vandalisum Options

[Andy Capp]

Newbury Town Council Press release - Vandalism at Dickens Walk Play Area

Due to recent deliberate and repeated acts of vandalism, the swings at Dickens Walk have had to be removed, in the interests of public safety.

The damage seems to have been caused by dogs biting and pulling on the swing seats. Replacing the swings costs Newbury Town Council in the region of £400 each time. The public purse cannot sustain these ongoing costs indefinitely.

If anyone has any information or has witnessed these incidents please contact Newbury Town Council on 01635 35486. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (free from a fixed line, mobile charges may vary).

Cllr Julian Swift-Hook, Leader of the Council said, “I am appalled that this valuable community facility is being repeatedly vandalised. Children have now been left with no swings to play on at Dickens Walk until this is resolved. I urge anyone with information to come forward”.


£400.00 to replace a seat; where the f*** do they go shopping!!! Mind you, even at half the price, you have to wonder if the perps responsible for the damage have any care!

[Biker1]

£400.00 to replace a seat; where the f*** do they go shopping!!! Mind you, even at half the price, you have to wonder if the perps responsible for the damage have any care!

I should imagine that price includes the excessive labour charge of 3 or 4 council employees to fix it.
With regard to your last question............no, they don't.

[JeffG]

Looking at a supplier of outdoor play equipment, seats can cost from £65 to £135 depending on the type, so if it was a set of four swings (which seems the usual), then with labour £400 doesn't seem unreasonable. It's probably external contractors, not council employees doing the work anyway, so why have a go at them?

[Biker1]

so why have a go at them?

Sorry, wasn't at them, just maybe the people who "manage" them.
£400 not a lot in the grand scheme of things anyway such as transport initiatives.
I pay half that every month myself!

[Andy Capp]

Looking at a supplier of outdoor play equipment, seats can cost from £65 to £135 depending on the type, so if it was a set of four swings (which seems the usual), then with labour £400 doesn't seem unreasonable. It's probably external contractors, not council employees doing the work anyway, so why have a go at them?

Quite

[JeffG]

Quite

You bolded my "so if". Actually, I looked at the area on street view and you can just about make out that it is indeed a set of four swings. So I don't quite understand the meaning of your "quite".

[Andy Capp]

You bolded my "so if". Actually, I looked at the area on street view and you can just about make out that it is indeed a set of four swings. So I don't quite understand the meaning of your "quite".

Meaning you are basing your opinion on a hunch, not a fact; like the OP.

[JeffG]

Meaning you are basing your opinion on a hunch, not a fact; like the OP.

Rubbish. I backed up my opinion by looking on Streetview that it was indeed a set of 4 swings. If anything, the OP (you) is basing his opinion on a hunch that it cost £400 to replace a single seat. Where is the fact there? In fact the article you quote says seats and swings, plural.

[Andy Capp]

Rubbish. I backed up my opinion by looking on Streetview that it was indeed a set of 4 swings. If anything, the OP (you) is basing his opinion on a hunch that it cost £400 to replace a single seat. Where is the fact there? In fact the article you quote says seats and swings, plural.

BECAUSE AT THE TIME YOU POSTED YOU DIDN'T KNOW IF IT AFFECTED ALL THE SWINGS... NUMB NUT! You admit as much but posting 'if' in your post.

[On the edge]

Interesting one this! These play areas have been put in as 'a much wanted community asset'. Given what they are sold to do, they are strong and robust; which means that it would take some force or some consistent effort to damage them sufficiently to need replacement. They are in an accessible public place. So, not withstanding Police patrols, warden inspections, street cleaners, neighbourhood watchers etc. someone in the area must have seen this going on, indeed have a pretty good idea who did it. Perhaps this demonstrates people really don't care about where they live, just like the volumes of litter we see around. So, what's wrong with just leaving things as then are, why spend good money on repairs? Clearly, the swings aren't that wanted.

[Weavers Walk]

See? This is why we can't have nice things.

[Simon Kirby]

Perhaps this demonstrates people really don't care about where they live, just like the volumes of litter we see around. So, what's wrong with just leaving things as then are, why spend good money on repairs? Clearly, the swings aren't that wanted.

I think what it demonstrates is that people with nothing invested in their community will show little respect for it. The town council is particularly bad at engaging the communities they are supposed to serve, and disenfranchised people will behave like this. Much better for the council to enable and facilitate communities to provide the facilities for themselves, but you'll need substantial change at the town council for them to think in those terms, and as things are the council will actually suppress grass-roots initiatives they're that controlling.

[newres]

I think what it demonstrates is that people with nothing invested in their community will show little respect for it. The town council is particularly bad at engaging the communities they are supposed to serve, and disenfranchised people will behave like this. Much better for the council to enable and facilitate communities to provide the facilities for themselves, but you'll need substantial change at the town council for them to think in those terms, and as things are the council will actually suppress grass-roots initiatives they're that controlling.

Laudable, but when communities "get involved" it isn't the the type of people that vandalise swings with their Staffies that engage. Other than time travelling back and giving their parents vasectomies there is little that can be done.

[On the edge]

Laudable, but when communities "get involved" it isn't the the type of people that vandalise swings with their Staffies that engage. Other than time travelling back and giving their parents vasectomies there is little that can be done.

Actually, you describe exactly what our present local politicians think is 'community engagement'. Simon is absolutely right, but 'community engagement' is NOT just about getting local people to deliver leaflets, doing a bit of litter picking, watching behind net curtains etc.

[Biker1]

Laudable, but when communities "get involved" it isn't the the type of people that vandalise swings with their Staffies that engage. Other than time travelling back and giving their parents vasectomies there is little that can be done.

I disagree at the risk of being diagnosed a "swivel eyed, Daily Mail reading member of the "hang 'em high"" brigade!

[On the edge]

I disagree at the risk of being diagnosed a "swivel eyed, Daily Mail reading member of the "hang 'em high"" brigade!

No problem......but how are you going to get them and then stop them? Present system is actually just as you say which even under a Tory government clearly doesn't work; in spite if all the feedback from the Daily Mail.

Sadly, the political 'leadership free' do as we say approach means the bad drive out the good. Get people properly involved and yes, you are always left with a residue....which most would help 'hang high'. It's cheaper in the long run too; you don't need so much rope.

[Andy Capp]

I disagree at the risk of being diagnosed a "swivel eyed, Daily Mail reading member of the "hang 'em high"" brigade!

If you disagree, what do you think can and should be done?

[Biker1]

If you disagree, what do you think can and should be done?

We don't need to go through all that again do we?
Debates about crime and punishment have been covered many times on this and many other forums.

[Simon Kirby]

We don't need to go through all that again do we?
Debates about crime and punishment have been covered many times on this and many other forums.

And yet you continue to shout down constructive proposals for an alternative approach with your counsel of despair.

[Andy Capp]

We don't need to go through all that again do we?
Debates about crime and punishment have been covered many times on this and many other forums.

In other words, you have no coherent or practical ideas? The thing is, I agree with you, but for what I suspect are different reasons. We can do most things if there is a will and an acceptance of the consequences, but people want their cake and wish to eat it too.