Thurso parents protest against possible closures of Caithness play parks – ‘Our children deserve better’
Worried parents joined forces in Thurso at the weekend to say they want to see more investment in play parks in the far north after concerns that a number were under threat of closure.
A recent Highland Council report listed 26 Caithness parks as part of a wider Highland-wide list which said they were due to close within five years.
Mother of one daughter, Eilidh Benecki organised the event at Millbank Boating Pond play area on Saturday where a number of concerned parents assembled with their children and were joined by two local councillors who came along to show support.
“I’ve organised this so that local families can turn up and show that they want their voices heard and their children’s voices heard,” said Ms Benecki.
“I was so angry that the council published this information, which was picked up by the paper, saying that so much equipment could fall into disrepair and so many parks could close. It’s not just about the parks closing, it’s about all the parks with broken equipment. It’s not sending the right message.”
The news came to light in a Highland Council document stating that a forthcoming meeting was to discuss the possible closure of 94 play parks across Highland including 26 in Caithness if funding could not be found.
Ms Benecki continued: “Play areas are even more essential in rural communities. Inverness already benefits from an abundance of resources, including numerous play parks funded by the local authority, community funds, and years of developer contributions.
“Inverness is bursting with play facilities: a skate park, mini golf, a bowling alley with arcades, a trampoline park, an inflatable theme park, and an arts theatre. Add to that extensive cycle paths, botanic gardens, a leisure pool, an ice skating rink, the Highland’s largest climbing gym, an outdoor paddling pool, a miniature railway, an athletics stadium, and even a boating pond with actual boats.
“Meanwhile, in Caithness, we are losing swings and roundabouts. While Cllr Raymond Bremner has suggested that parks are not ‘closing’ since only some equipment is being removed, the reality is that this equipment is often not replaced, leaving communities with less play provision.”
Ms Benecki went on to say that a United Nations charter grants children the right to leisure and play but the council’s play park policy is “failing to uphold this fundamental right”. She also talked about the matter having much greater implications with regard to the problems of depopulation in the Highlands.
“What are the root causes of depopulation in the Highlands? Could it stem from a consistent failure to support young families? Like many others, I am frustrated by a cycle of short-term fixes and a ‘next-generation’ approach that proves ineffective while increasing the financial burden on taxpayers.”
Many of the parents who turned up at the event noted how teenagers also liked to gather at play areas. While not actively using the equipment, they find it a comfortable space to gather in.
Thurso and Northwest Caithness councillor Struan Mackie came along to support the protest and said: “The document presented to the Highland Council had a clear suggestion that a defined number of play parks in the area were closing. It has since been said that there was no intention to close the parks but it’s clearly in black and white for everyone to see.”
Cllr Mackie said that the matter was discussed at a recent meeting of Thurso Community Council (TCC). Together with fellow ward members, he told TCC that they had formed a united front to ask council officers what proactive steps were needed for the “maintenance and investment” required for the play areas to prevent closure.
Fellow ward councillor Ron Gunn was also at the protest event on Saturday and said that the local sentiment was strongly in favour of keeping local play parks in good working order.
“You can see that from the number of people who came out today with this protest,” said Cllr Gunn. He said that there would be some Scottish Government money for various play parks in Caithness that was separate from the council funding streams.
As chair of Caithness Health Action Team, he also noted the importance of children using play areas to benefit both their “mental and physical wellbeing”. The consensus from those at the protest was that Highland Council may not close the full 26 play areas in Caithness but perhaps just a dozen or so and make that feel like a “positive step forward”.
Highland Council says its debate on the matter “was very much on talk about investment required [and] not on closing parks down”.
Chair of the communities and place committee, Graham MacKenzie said after the recent council meeting: “Despite what some headlines in our local press have said, this report we discussed is not about closing play parks. Like everything mechanical or structural, play equipment has a finite life, and at the end of its life it becomes unsafe for children to play on, and must be removed.”
The council says it will continue to support communities to seek external sources of funding, and support communities to fundraise to improve play parks.
Ms Benecki added: “Our children deserve better. A good well-planned play park is a community social space for all ages. It’s time to rethink this policy and ensure fair access to play for all Highland communities.”
