The Annual External Inspection of the play area at the Green and the Recreation Ground on August 15th found several issues with the swing sets and the basket swing, which gave them a high-risk rating. These were:
Flat Seat/Junior swings :
- There are areas or parts of the timber (the main support posts, four large posts) on the structure that have rotted – Replace all affected timbers;
- The connecting lugs (on the chains) are worn – Replace lugs or all affected components;
- The chain links are worn excessively and require renewing, the inspector taped the item at the time of inspection as a temporary measure but further action is required ASAP- Replace worn chains.
Baby/cradle swings:
- There are areas or parts of the timber on the structure that have rotted, the inspector taped the item at the time of inspection as a temporary measure but further action is required ASAP – Replace all affected timbers
Recreation ground Basket swing:
- There are areas or parts of the timber on the structure that have rotted – Replace all affected timbers;
- There is moderate damage to the surface and grass mats are missing and some are loose – Repair the damaged areas of surfacing.
Due to the high-risk assessment, the seats on all the swings were removed. We cannot replace the chains etc without replacing the posts.
An initial quote has been received for removing the posts then replacing them with new wooden ones with metal feet on them so that they do not rot in the future, and we are awaiting a second quote, as per our procedures, to make sure we are getting the best value for the work. We have been informed that these wooden supports are now installed with metal feet as standard to prevent rotting when the posts are in the ground – our swings were installed before these amendments were in place. We are also looking into obtaining quotes for replacing the whole sets with new, possibly metal sets, as the cost for this may be comparable. New items would have longer warranty or guarantees and may be easier to maintain. The lead times given on the quote we have for either replacement or new is 6-8 weeks.
There are still swings at the Play Area at the Recreation Ground. The repairs to the various items may mean the closure of the play areas while work is undertaken, it is not a small job. Please bear with us while we action the work.