MADAM,

I am afraid I felt compelled to respond to the article detailing the short-sighted view of Monmouth planning committee.

The playground on Chippenham Mead is a horrible, unloved and lonely place that feels decidedly unsafe in the middle of the day, let alone, in the early evening.

My children are older now but I did visit this unloved, unsafe playground when they were younger but only midday on a Saturday if I couldn’t avoid it.

Refurbishing this lonely, out of the way, unloved corner of Chippenham Mead is not going to be worth the investment. It will still be horrid. It is noisy and unpleasant, off the beaten track where people don’t know it exists or don’t feel safe being there alone with young children.

I guess the people making this decision are far removed from the issues affecting young families. It makes me sad. Abergavenny has a playground that is visible to the community as one enters the town centre. It seems to reflect the lack of regard for the 21st century that seems to be prevalent in many of the council decisions. Don’t get me started on the Victorian tendencies of the 21st Century Schools programme that has spectacularly failed the children of Raglan.  

Sarah Howe

(Monmouth)