Children will no longer be able to play on the swings in a beloved UK park due to EU regulations.
The park in Beer, Devon, is being replaced by a pirate-themed play area with a ship-themed climbing frame. It is part of a £400,000 publicly funded revamp of five parks in the region.
But despite the expensive new equipment, one thing that’s always been in the park will be missing – swings.
One of the EU regulations which was put into UK law almost 20 years before Brexit was safety requirements for children’s playground equipment. It sets out how much space there has to be between swings, how high they have to be off the ground and how many there can be per bay.
Local councillors realised that there was not room for both swings and the pirate climbing frame if they wanted to follow regulations which can help them avoid injury claims.
Because of this and access to manhole covers beneath the park, the swings have to be demolished.
John Heath, an independent councillor for East Devon District Council, told the Telegraph: “Families have complained to me, saying ‘we want the swings’ – around 15 to 20 mothers and some fathers too. They’re frustrated, I’m frustrated, we’re all frustrated by this.
“I certainly sympathise with them, and would be vociferously calling for the swings to come back myself if rules allowed it – but I’m not a legislator, and I’m not going to compromise on children’s safety. It has split the community, as other parishioners are in favour of the new pirate-themed play area.
“There were swings in that park for more than 40 years – my wife’s children used to play on them, and they brought a lot of joy and happiness to children. But the swings were past their sell-by date and couldn’t be replaced with new swings as the health and safety rules are different now compared to 40 years ago.”
Geoff Jung, the Liberal Democrat councillor responsible for parks, said: “Although it wasn’t possible to include a swing [due to the space required by the European standards], we’ve selected the designs that provide the most play value and that reduce environmental impact through recycled materials. We are confident local children and visitors alike will love the new facilities.”
And Dr Amanda Gummer, the chairman of the Association of Play Industries and a psychologist, said that while it was “a shame” for children that the swings in Beer were being removed, having safe, well-designed inclusive playgrounds was vital for children’s mental health. She added: “We would be risking our kids’ safety if we compromised the standards.”
But other councillors are not pleased, with Cllr Colin Brown, the Conservative group leader on East Devon District Council, saying residents would be angry if “European laws were adopted for everything”.
East Devon District Council said the swings were not being removed solely because of EU law, with a spokesman saying: “There are various reasons why the plans for this particular park, with its limited space, do not include swings.
“Even if sufficient space were available, the play area would consist of only a single set of swings, offering poor play value compared to the themed and tailored ship currently being delivered.
“Children’s safety is of paramount importance. As a council providing facilities for children, it is imperative that we adhere to these standards to minimise the risk of incidents.”
