• Letter from Maltby Town Council :

  “Dear Resident

  At the Town Council meeting on 7 November 2013, residents from the Truman Green area asked if they could receive an account of the meeting between Rotherham Borough Council and Maltby Town Council in regard to a potential park. That meeting took place on the 15 November and the following was discussed:

  • A review of the Town Councils position regarding the management and maintenance of a new play area.
  • Consideration of concerns expressed by local residents about the proposed play area, that the implications
  • A review of possible alternative locations for a new play area in Maltby

  Active Tots Consultation
  The results from the consultation were largely inconclusive, but did show a slight percentage of resident who were in favour of the play area, but this still leaves a significant proportion who do not want the park.

  Petition from Truman Green
  • Main fear is anti-social behaviour by older children at night
  • Residents say the area already attracts ASB, but the figures have been checked and it has never been a hotspot, therefore if there has been trouble it has not been reported.
  • Bought the houses because they look onto the green
  • People from a large catchment area have been asked to express their views

  Rotherham Borough Council
  • The Area Assembly and Greenspaces helped Active Tots compile the questionnaire.
  • The main area of deficiency in the town was looked at and pinpointed Truman Green as the central point
  • RMBC cannot take on or fund this resource

   Management and maintenance implications for Maltby Town Council

  • Be responsible for anyone getting hurt
  • Incur legal fees for the asset transfer
  • Responsible for sorting out incidents of anti-social behaviour
  • Have to add to public liability and insurances
  • Responsible for clearing the site of glass and rubbish
  • Play areas tend to last for 10-15 years
  • Have to take on the long term management of the site
  • Costly repairs and replacement of damaged equipment

  Possible review of Alternative Sites
  There was a proposal to evaluate possible alternative sites in West Maltby. It was discussed that this would allow the Town Council to consider whether any further sites should be looked at, and also whether Maltby Town Council think the proposed assessment criteria is appropriate. It was noted that some of the sites on the list were suggested by people who were consulted by the Tots Group or who signed the Resident’s Group petition.

  Protocol
  Maltby Town Council said that they had been asked by residents to report back the back the finding of this meeting to both groups.

  The above was discussed by Maltby Town Council on 5 December 2013. The resolutions from that meeting are:

  1.That Truman Green be removed from the list of possible sites for a play area.

  2.That Maltby Town Council do not take on the maintenance and management of a new park.

  Yours faithfully
  pp
  Maltby Town Council “

• Views of Maltby residents can be seen on the Maltby Active Tots Facebook page.

It seems that in this instance, MTC think that 450 people (65%) wanting the park is “inconclusive” .

What a self serving disgrace this council continues to be.

This situation brings back memories of 2008/09. A play area was planned on the very same area. Glossy leaflets were printed entitled

“What is happening on Amory’s Holt Way ?”

Peter Cunningham MinstLM, Play Development Officer, Green Spaces Unit, Environmental and Development Services, tells us on this leaflet that “It is intended that work should begin within the next few weeks”.

Of course it never happened at all. This was largely due to a certain Chris McMahon who was a councillor at the time and other MTC councillors who used their NIMBY tendencies to stop the park going ahead.

History repeating itself ?

(This “development” that never happened appears to have been funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Wonder where the funds went instead? )