Play area improvement programme
Plans to improve parks and play areas across Cannock Chase have been given the green light by senior councillors.
A play area assessment review was completed last year and now a four-year parks programme has come forward setting out projects for 2022 to 2026.
There are 52 play sites across the district, including skate parks, tennis courts and multi-use games areas.
Of these, 43 are owned and managed by the council, with the remaining nine in the hands of private developers or parish councils.
Play area upgrades can only take place where funding has been secured or is available, a report to the council’s cabinet said.
The main source of funding is contributions from developers who have secured planning permission in the area, known as Section 106 funding or Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
The report said: “Cannock Chase Council currently has a number of Section 106 agreements resulting from house building and development being carried out in and around the district in recent years.
“Some of the agreements have claw back periods where the finance must be spent in the vicinity of the development within a specific time period.
"Delivery of this programme will contribute towards the spend of these S106 agreements and lessen the potential for developers to request funds being returned.
“This programme will be kept under review, as depending on the council’s priorities from time-to-time projects may need to be added or removed.
"Where this is the case, an additional report will be compiled and submitted to cabinet seeking their approval.”
Cabinet members backed the programme at their meeting on Thursday and gave the go-ahead for further financial opportunities to be investigated to support the funding for all the proposed schemes.
Council leader Olivia Lyons highlighted the importance of quality open spaces for residents.
Deputy leader Bryan Jones said: “What’s pleasing is it’s across the district. We hear ‘Cannock gets it all’ or ‘Rugeley gets it all’, but this is across the district and rightly so.”
Councillor Val Jones said: “It’s a fair and transparent assessment scheme. I’m very pleased that Cannock Park is one of those that is going to be developed.”
Councillor Justin Johnson said: “I’m really pleased to see a couple of Rugeley parks on there.
"At Rugeley skate park someone has set a fire underneath one of the ramps and it needs some money spending on it.”
Joss Presland, the council’s Head of Environment and Healthy Lifestyles, said after the meeting: “We have a key role to play in the provision of good quality parks and open spaces and there are high expectations around maintaining our parks to a good standard.
"This four-year improvement programme helps us to prioritise the vast amount of parks that we have in our area by need.
“However, park and play area upgrades can only take place where funding has been secured.
"As these improvements are completed, other play areas and parks will be added to the list, to create a rolling programme.
“We understand that parks and open spaces are important to our communities, and providing opportunities for our residents to lead healthy and active lifestyles is one of our key priorities.
"This programme helps us to achieve that aim.”
Parks and play areas identified in the four year programme
Wellington Drive play area
Laburnum Avenue Phase 1 development
Barnard Way play area
Stadium Phase 2 development
Laburnum Avenue Phase 2 & 3 development
Cannock Park play area
Heath Hayes Park development
Oxford Road play area
Cannock Park development
Flaxley Road play area
Rugeley skate park development
Winstanley Place play area
