Just fence me in...

THE new fence isn’t as effective at... fencing, say locals

Playground fence too low, say locals
OLDHAM Council has defended its improvements to a busy playground hit by metal theft.

Thieves stole two metal panels of a fence surrounding the Eldon Street playground — so the council has replaced the entire fence with a - much lower - wooden version.

Councillor Jean Stretton, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “Part of it had been stolen, leaving a large gap, and a risk assessment found it didn’t meet British standards. There was a chance a child could have seriously injured themselves on the old fencing - and children may well have wandered through the gaps.

“The new fencing is intended to make the playground more welcoming and integrated with the wider landscape and makes it less separated from the rest of the park. We believe children and families would be encouraged to use all of the park, not just that small area.”

But grandmother Linda Gilmour (61), from Park Road, said the new fence can be easily stepped over by children and adults alike - and won’t stop children running into the road.

The playground lies between two busy streets with a nearby cash and carry warehouse and two garages, and traffic is constant.

The grandmother-of-one said: “The metal fence kept children off the road and it is a shame that the panels were stolen. But I find it hard to believe for the sake of two panels they’ve had to change the whole fence.

She added that the low fence is encouraging adults to now use the playground as a shortcut, which didn’t happen before.

“They’ve replaced the fence with a low wooden barrier children can step over or go under. It’s not just daft, it’s an accident waiting to happen.”