MADAM,

Councillor Bradley is quite right to flag up the fact that absolutely nothing has been achieved since the town council voted unanimously, in 2014, to ignore the county council’s recommendation to build a new destination playground and instead refurbish the old one. Having voted in this fashion, the town council have completely failed to then ensure that such a refurbishment is carried out. Perhaps this was a stroke of luck though, as their original decision was sloppy, ill thought through and involved no consultation with the public whatsoever. Nor did they consider the wider benefits that a new playground would bring to the town.

The town council still insist that there is not enough time available for the playground to be relocated before the 106 money runs out in 2019. (The 106 money was £145,000 given to the county council by property developers that the county council recommended be spent on this new playground. Only £85,000 of this money now remains, as the town council decided to spend £60,000 of it in other locations). Given how little they have achieved so far, it is understandable that they have such a pessimistic outlook about what it is possible to achieve. If they had managed to achieve anything in this time, they wouldn’t now be in the position of still having to defend their original decision nearly three years later. And in fairness only two thirds of them do defend it now based on the recent vote.

In fact there is still enough time available. Councillor Bradley unfairly lays all delays so far entirely at the feet of “unelected ego seeking people” despite these unelected people only having been campaigning for the last nine months. He also worries that these delays have eaten into the £85,000. That money is still there, however, so his worries are unfounded.

The decision about the future of the playground is no longer in the hands of the town council, and will be taken at a higher level, namely the cabinet of the county council. We hope that they will have far more of an eye on the well being of future generations than some members of the town council do.

From Councillor Bradley’s letters we get a strong sense of his desperate desire to read and sunbathe on Chippenham Mead. The prospect of him being able to indulge in these activities in that secluded spot by the A40 that might soon be vacated by the playground is one that we’re sure would gladden the hearts of all true Monmothians. There’s even a bund in place to protect his modesty should he feel that more of his anatomy would benefit from the touch of the sun’s warm and comforting rays.

We hope that all those who feel strongly about the relocation of the playground will be minded to write to the county council and encourage them to vote for progress.

Rachel and Miles Jupp

(Monmouth)