A proposed children’s play area in Gedney Dyke has reverted to a site previously rejected.
It now seems likely that the equipment – a slide, two swings, a see-saw and a bench seat – will be sited on the village green. It comes after hopes of using the current village hall car park fell through.
Gedney Parish Council told the village hall committee that the lease agreement between the two would have to be completed by September 13 in order for the project to be completed in time with the available grant funding. Due to Land Registry issues, that proved not possible.
Last week (Sept 13) parish councillors voted 6-1 in favour of using the village green instead.
Speaking after the meeting, clerk Jane Ripley said that it was not the ideal outcome – the council had been really hopeful that the village hall location would come to fruition – but it was the only other option as The Queen Mother Nature Reserve in Lowgate was not a suitable site.
Mrs Ripley told The Voice: “The council had the choice of either losing the (Lincolnshire County Council £7,000) funding because of the deadline or, in the timeframe that was left, placing the play area on the village green, which is the only piece of land the council owns themselves and is possible to use.”
She added: “The council are really, really disappointed that it didn’t work out with the village hall car park, to keep everyone happy, but feel it’s more important to give the village a play area than to lose the funding – and this was their only option.”
The wooden play equipment and black safety railings will be in keeping with the war memorial on the green.
Villagers at a parish council meeting last February voted 32-13 in favour of the play area not being sited there. The council then resolved to abandon that location.
