Play park plan for Leicester city centre
The city centre's first public playground is being proposed in an effort to make the middle of Leicester more family friendly.
A patch of land including a paved area with seating in St George Street, opposite the Leicester Mercury building, has been earmarked for a £45,000 redevelopment.
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Leicester City Council wants to turn it into a playground and install play equipment for children aged two to six.
Castle ward councillor Patrick Kitterick has been pushing for a play area, next to St George's churchyard, to be established for some time.
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He said: "In the city centre, there really are not a lot of green spaces. That is one of them but it is under utilised.
"There are also more families with young children living in the St George's area than you would think.
"There are three nurseries that are very close by which could use it."
In the past, the area has been used by street drinkers but Coun Kitterick said he thought they would move away when the play area was running.
He said: "There are a couple of individuals who go there, but in my experience of dealing with street drinkers they are not confrontational. They will go somewhere else."
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "In the city centre there are no other play areas. This will be the first.
"I hope it will be used by families, as well as visitors. We want to make it a more family-friendly city centre.
"In other cities, where there are lots of apartments, you often see small parks tucked away and that is what we are hoping for."
The mayor said he wanted the project to be funded from money paid by developers in return for being granted planning permission.
There are 13 trees in the proposed play area.
A city council spokeswoman said one of them would have to be felled to allow the play equipment to be put in.
She said: "That one is currently in poor health. The others will be kept but some of them may have to be cut back a bit."
The police have welcomed the proposed play area.
City centre police commander Chris Cockerill said: "I think it's a fantastic idea.
"There have been some reports of anti-social behaviour but the area is not blighted by it.
"It's a lovely area and I think it would make great playground."
The city council's own planning officers are considering the scheme.
Comments
by robbc7
Friday, January 18 2013, 2:43PM
“Ooooh.. The Bowstring Bridge. Yes it had "reached the end of it's use" and that manifested itself by fencing it off as it was part of the Great Central Way surely? But to go into those areas the Pump & Tap hadn't reached the end of it's use, unlike the carbuncle that is to be turned into a market. The £600k Slabs Of Leicester. Close something and yes it will be useless, close the sports hall and see how many use it, probably the same amount of people that use aforementioned bridge when that was closed to the public. x”
by Red_Ned
Friday, January 18 2013, 10:31AM
“QUOTE City centres are not places for play areas for goodness' sake...END OF QUOTE
What are they places for? Jessops? Comet? Woolworths? HMV? Blockbusters? City centres are going to have to change. Where there once was shops will have to become accommodation, places of entertainment and eating. Just as the Bowstring Bridge had reached the end of it's use (magnificent though it once had been) and has been replaced by something hundreds of people use every day, so city centres wil have to (somehow) encourage families to move back in. This is an encouraging sign that some people are looking beyond the end of the "High Street".”
by olivergrandad
Thursday, January 17 2013, 8:06PM
“Good grief, Bikerdan, spot on mate, spot on!”
by karinfall1955
Thursday, January 17 2013, 7:32PM
“@bikerdan82. Judging by your last paragraph I sugges you avoid this website as it obviously is not good for your blood pressure. Though I am a 'child hating witch' I would nevertheless hate to be responsible for bringing on a coronary..”
by bikerdan82
Thursday, January 17 2013, 2:49PM
“Karinfall: The bridge was long gone and to a many a people it isn't sorely missed. A leisure centre that can be utilised by the whole community or an old rusting relic that was used by pigeons as a toilet... I know which option I prefer being there now!!
You may be some sort of child hating witch but there will be a lot of people that welcome this play area, Leicester city centre severely lacks provision for children / young people and any development that gives them something more permanent than "tacky Humberstone Gate is turned into a fairground every once in a while" has to be a good thing!!
This website really riles me at times; it's basically a sounding board for miserable, progress bashing, authority hating, petrol guzzling cyclist haters and internet shopping (via corporations that dodge tax) buffoons! I'm glad this city has seen so much migration in recent years, its added new blood into a pool of seemingly mindless inbreeds!!”
by democrat
Thursday, January 17 2013, 2:26PM
“It is somewhat difficult to avoid commenting on Peter Soulsby as he appears in the LM every single day (sometimes in more than one story). I find it interesting that having appointed an 'Executive Team' at considerable unnecessary expense he feels the need to be pictured or quoted on every issue. Perhaps it is because his 'Executive Team' are simply not very good or that Peter Soulsby is addicted to publicity (I would prefer that he was addicted to democracy and transparency)
My interests are purely the future economic success of the City of Leicester which will be evidenced by growing wealth rather than the decline that Peter Soulsby and his type have presided over for many years.
If you are the type of person who is so empty-headed that you equate 'development' with block paving and landscaping then I wish you well. However I equate block paving more with gardening than economic growth and success.
Anyway what's another £50k – it's only money”
by karinfall1955
Thursday, January 17 2013, 1:03PM
“The comedian Kitterick will forever more be associated with the destruction of the Bowstring Bridge in a great many peoples' minds. His schemes carry all the weight of a feather duster.
Arrows away..”
by karinfall1955
Thursday, January 17 2013, 11:59AM
“This is a nice quiet area; also enjoyed by the constantly hard pressed wildlife which is a lot more marginalised in this city than children ever are. City centres are not places for play areas for goodness' sake. It is bad enough when the tacky Humberstone Gate is turned into a fairground every once in a while. I better understand the proposal to fell a large number of trees in the adjoining churchyard now.
There are very many young children living in the St. Georges area, that'll be St. Matthews Estate then? Could they not build a play area there?”
by Lordpostie
Thursday, January 17 2013, 10:32AM
“So I get a red mark for my comment, seeing as this soon to be park is in st georges conservation area, the illness of the tree is even more unsurprising”
by f007e
Thursday, January 17 2013, 10:30AM
“democrat - do you really thinking spending the relatively small sum on changing slabs populated by 'street drinkers' into a green playground for children is a 'waste of money'? I wonder what you vision for Leicester is?
And to echo ddb223 - it might help to read the article before commenting as it states that it's Patrick Kitterick who's pushing this idea.”