Fight to improve Calderdale village play area where some play equipment has been there since the 1960s

People from Bailiff Bridge presented a petition with 5,200 signatures to Calderdale Council’s place scrutiny board calling for improvements to the village’s playground on Bradford Road.

Community stalwart Malcolm Silkstone said around four items had been placed at the play area in around 1968, including some swings that are still there now.

Some of these items were taken away in the 1970s and it was promised they would be replaced but except for a slide the two others – a roundabout and a see-saw – never returned.

Mr Silkstone said: “Residents have to take their children out of the area to find a decent play area.”

In light of 500 new homes being built around the village, it was time to get something better, he added.

Cabinet member for public services and communities, Coun Jenny Lynn, said the play area was one of 110 with 1,533 pieces of equipment which the council looked after.

The council prioritised things like age and condition of equipment when deciding to take action but finance was also an issue.

“We have got financial challenges, I won’t pretend otherwise,” she said.

Head of neighbourhoods Andrew Pitts said the council was in the final year of £750,000 play area investment approved in 2018 which was fully allocated already but a bid for more capital funding was being put together.

Among criteria the council looked at was safety of equipment, catchment – Bailiff Bridge met this in terms of numbers of children – and developing partnerships with communities.

For example, there might be funding the council could not bid for but community groups like Friends of Bailiff Bridge could, and other possibilities included match funding, said Mr Pitts.

Mr Silkstone said the group was very committed to working with the council to see if the situation could change, hopefully with equipment which could be used by a wide range of children and a wide range of abilities.

Coun Lynn (Lab, Park) said: “We will be very happy to look at what the needs are, not just for new but maintained equipment.”