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Report on Hail Weston Playing Field Public Consultation held on 24th July 2009 Complied by Hail Weston Parish Council Playing Field Project Team 1. Background On Saturday 31st January an initial consultation event was held in Hail Weston to identify support for improving the facilities at the Playing Fields and to ask residents of all ages the types of facilities they would like to see provided. This event facilitated by Cambridgeshire Acre was very well attended and there was overwhelming support for the initiative. A number of specific ideas emerged as clear favourites. Following the first consultation Hail Weston Parish Council formally established a project team consisting of three members of the council and seven villagers who had expressed a strong interest in the project. The team was divided into two streams – Funding and Operations each led by a member of the PC. The overall project team was chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council. Using the report from the initial consultation this group developed a detailed plan of improvements and equipment. A scale drawing of the playing field was produced by a local firm of surveyors. A member of the Operations team with professional experience of landscape design produced a drawing of what the playing field could look like after the proposed changes and quotations for specific items of equipment were obtained from various suppliers. It was decided by the Project Team that in order to ascertain the views of residents on these more detailed plans a further consultation should be held. The consultation was announced by a leaflet which was delivered to every house in the village, children who attended the initial event received a personal letter of invitation as did residents who occupy a property adjacent to the Playing Field. 2. The Consultation Event The event was held in Hail Weston Village Hall on Wednesday 24th July between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. There were two main displays. The first showed the overall plan of the proposed new facilities whereas the second display showed examples of specific equipment such as a fort and a zip wire. Participants were invited to comment by completing a feedback form which they handed in before leaving. 3. Participation Participation was monitored using the feedback form. In total 66 people took part of which 27 (41%) were aged under 18. The gender of participants was fairly evenly split with 29 males and 37 females present. There are a number of residents who are members of the ethnic minorities. Rather than being perceived as a separate category they expressed a preference, on the grounds of inclusivity, for their feedback to be recorded within the overall figures rather than being separately identified.
4. Results Of those who attended 92% expressed support for the project whilst 8% expressed partial support.. There was some clear feedback from the comments sections with strong requests to remove or introduce particular items into the plan.
There were very strong comments from the children that mud raps should be included. Currently they are using ramps outside the village which involve a journey along the busy B645 where a number of serious accidents occur each year. Children also wanted to see a concrete area and a wall included for ball sports. The footpaths included on the plan would give a place where children could learn to cycle away from the busy roads. It was felt that the Green Toilet was not required and was a potential health hazard. Similar comments were made about the sand area. Concern about the number of trees was expressed from two groups. Residents of Pound Close which back on to the side of the Playing Field thought that the proposed number and location of trees would have a serious impact upon the amount of light in their back gardens. Parents were concerned that the number of trees could make it difficult to see where their children were and could encourage unsavoury characters. On a similar basis it was felt that the proposed fort design created too many hidden areas. There was a strong preference for the Lapsett design which would less maintenance than the other options and did not have so many hidden areas. The July consultation event was also used as an opportunity to showcase a range of four different fort designs - the main visual element - to allow for feedback and inform final decisions. . There were concerns that high sides on the fort structure would make it hard for parents to monitor their children's activities and check on safety. Many children were attracted to the more colourful fort structures. Many adult residents felt brightly coloured roofs would be too garish in such a rural setting. Structures with less than three towers were seen as climbing frames rather than the preferred 'fort' option. As a result of this consultation, a Fenland Leisure play fort was agreed to be the ideal option. It has colourful side panels, yet its roofs are wooden. The walkways between towers are open and allow for easier visual monitoring of children. The company can provide a three tower fort within the budgetary constraints. In addition, the company is local to the Cambridgeshire area which means the funds used to purchase the structure will also be supporting a local business and the reduced transportation associated will reduce the carbon footprint of the build. 5. Practical support and numbers of likely visitors Of those who responded 70% indicated that they would be able to help with the development of the site in a practical way such as assisting at a tree planting session. Only 12% or respondents were unable to help. Participants were asked how many visitors from outside the village they might introduce to the new facilities. The results were as follows;
Conclusion The consultation was a successful event with a high level of attendance. A range of very clear views were expressed which have helped the project team to refine the plan in a way which tries to reflect the wishes of the village whilst ensuring that the design remains financially, logistically and aesthetically practical. As a result a final plan is being put together which will be showcased at the village fete on Saturday 12th September.
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