Clapham Common playground - a disgrace Post Reply

[chorister]

"What can Be done?"

Well I guess you could specify where the money should come from ie who you think should do without what so that the playground can have more?

[Astolat]

Taxes, I'd happily pay more for better services, ideally enough to do away with food banks and fund proper elder care etc.  and yes, better playgrounds seems a reasonable start.  Some of the highest incomes in the country across Wandsworth and Lambeth pay below the national average in council tax.  

Alternatively at least some of the money raised from all the events on the common should be reinvested in improving facilities for those who use the common outside of the fancy events.

[Smhsmhsmh]

This was the petition that I started to campaign for better facilities for children on Clapham Common. I have reopened it this morning so please do continue to sign and share.

I understand that this issue is moving up the list of priorities at the Council but everything takes time and is lacking funding.  

Code: Select all

https://www.change.org/p/better-playgrounds-for-children-on-clapham-common

I have in the past reported specific damage to equipment via this website and it has been sorted - so worth a try if anyone has anything specific to report. https://www.fixmystreet.com/

[Smhsmhsmh]

https://www.change.org/p/better-playgro ... ham-common

Here is the petition link again in case it did not work above

[firsttimerSW11]

@Chorister
Well I guess you could specify where the money should come from ie who you think should do without what so that the playground can have more?

My response to you would be that Lambeth Council raises a significant amount of money from events they hold throughout the year and in particular during the summer months on Clapham Common. Many of these events affect those who live close to the common in terms of noise pollution etc. I would suggest that some of the funds raised from the events on Clapham Common, should be used to maintain and improve play spaces rather than automatically directing funds away to other parts of the borough as seems to be the case. The appalling lack of investment in Clapham Common by Lambeth Council, which is all the more galling considering the revenue it generates.
If Lambeth are lacking in vision of what constitutes a nice playground, or thinks that the current offerings are fit for purpose, I suggest they speak to their pals over at Wandsworth or maybe pop down to Battersea Park and get some ideas there.

[chorister]

FirsttimerSW11:  I actually wrote my comment in a fit if irritation because no-one seems to realise that this is a zero sum game.  You may well be right that Lambeth should change priorities, but the fact is that if they do then it is not 'Lambeth Council' which suffers.  Instead real people whose names you and I will never know will have to do without something which perhaps they value in order to accomodate the new priorities.

Over the border in Wandsworth we live in an area of million pound houses (and those are the bottom end) run by a Council whose proudest boast seems to be the lowest Council Tax they can get away with.  I actually think the best answer is from Astolat - if you want better services, pay for them.

[parsleysong]

That playground was grotty even over 10 years ago when I used to take my kids there nearly every day. Then we moved into the Wandsworth area and found the one on that Common a million times nicer and better kept. The blame lays with Lambeth Council. They are absolutely bloody useless. Council tax there is twice as much for less than half as much. People shouldn't have to pay even more council tax to Lambeth for that playground to be kept up to standard. I can't see them changing any time soon unless they get voted out (unlikely unfortunately) so the Fix my Street option is probably the best we can hope for!

[sloaney donkey]

When I was a teenager in stricken poverty and a single mum, and my young lass was growing up with me in the Glasgow ban-lieu, we had a playground. It was the only thing we had.

Unfortunately we couldn’t go because it was stricken with needles from the crackheads and heroin junkies using it. Sunday mornings were worst. Council had a constant war to clean it up.

The playgrounds on Clapham Common May be “clapped-out” but at least they aren’t unsafe in that respect. “Clapped-out” also means “well-enjoyed” so means you have all had some good goes on the rides.

Although that swing looks like it has been eaten by someone’s dog.

Sloany Donkey

[Ratski]

As already mentioned Wandsworth has a much nicer facilities, same goes for Tooting and Battersea Park.  These parks are run and managed by a Conservative led council rather than the marxist filth that run Lambeth. 

They pimp out the Common for weeks on end for fun runs, moon walks, tacky christmas markets and festivals etc that leave it looking like a bog and large swathes are then fenced off for months after to allow the grass to recover. When these aren't happening every other spare inch seems to be turned in to a football pitch even the small patch of grass on the West Side now has children's football matches most weekends and none of them seem capable of taking their rubbish away with plastic bottles littering the pitches for the rest of the weekend. The South American soccer club on the gravel football pitches every Sunday seem to be the worst offenders for this as they leave the pitch and surrounding area looking like a skip, tempted to put a call in to the Home Office. 

Then you have all the dog **** to contend with when you go for walks, the wooded area is out of bounds to avoid all the condom wrappers and strange men lurking around and you have the Romanian gangs living over on the grass by Clapham Common Tube making it look a little like Calais. 

But it was nice of them to put on a free party last year at the basketball courts for the 'suppliers' and Lambeth council employees complete with free bar and live entertainment and security to keep the local residents out. 

 

[Smhsmhsmh]

https://www.change.org/p/better-playgro ... u/24460107

Since reopening the petition a few days ago, it has regained some interest and new signatures. It would be massively helpful if anyone interested could perhaps forward it to their school/nursery office to be distributed, to local businesses, churches etc...a poster in the Common cafe and other local cafes too would help...just some ideas but would definitely help to spread the word and hopefully make a difference.

[Ramaboo]

i use it a lot, it's just not that bad.
I live in Lambeth and would rather they spent the money on cleaning up the streets/litter collection

[FranJov]

The Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee (CCMAC http://claphamcommon.london/) are the official community body working with Lambeth on all issues related to Clapham Common . The group meet monthly and are comprised of 9 elected representatives from the community , Friends of Clapham Common, The Clapham Society and BandstandBeds as well as 3 local councillors . Their Playgrounds working group has noted the lack of investment for years but it is only now that funding is being made available for improvements and renovation . The group met 2 weeks ago to discuss next steps and agreed that public consultation would be essential to ensure the best possible outcome for users -- exactly how that will happen is being worked on now 

[parsleysong]

Why waste valuable public time and money on a public consultation? It's pretty obvious what equipment needs to be repaired and upgraded so just get on and do it.

[FranJov]

Fortunately the funding that is being discussed will allow for much more than a simple repair job . The existing playgrounds on Battersea Rise and Windmill Drive are not only dilapidated but also out of kilter with modern thinking on outdoor play but there will inevitably need to be compromise when it comes to expenditure .The skateboard park on Clapham Common was designed in close consultation with local users and is very successful as a result .That precedent is an important one