WOODFORD GREEN: Anger at lack of Monkhams playgrounds (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WOODFORD GREEN: Anger at lack of Monkhams playgrounds

11:11am Friday 5th August 2011 in Your Local Areas By Dominic Sutton

A LACK of play facilities is forcing families to travel miles to find somewhere to keep their children entertained over the summer holidays.

Youngsters living in Monkhams ward in Woodford Green have to travel as far as Buckhurst Hill or South Woodford to find public play areas.

Members of Redbridge Council’s area two committee have been trying to persuade the City of London Corporation to allow a play area on its land for nearly two years without success, and campaigners are starting to lose patience.

Dad-of-two Tony Oshungbura, 39, of Grange Close, described the situation as ‘ludicrous’, adding: “There are quite a few playgrounds in surrounding areas, and that’s fine if you have the time to drive.

“But if you are just picking the kids up from school there is nowhere around here where you can just stop for 15 minutes on the way home.

“I can’t believe nothing can be done about that.”

Grandmother Barbara Keller, 58, who lives in Mornington Road, often looks after her three grandchildren and believes that corporation-owned land on the greens next to the High Road would be ideal.

She said: “There are so many young children in the area.

“We often stop off and feed the ducks, but it would be lovely to have a little enclosed area on one of the greens.”

A spokeswoman for the corporation said it was legally bound to keep its land free of any development.

She added: “We have to consistently ensure that typically urban infrastructures such as play areas, bus shelters and highway infrastructures are not licensed on Forest land."

Monkhams ward councillor Linda Huggett suggested that there was council-owned land off Broadmead Road that could be used, adding: “We have quite a large car park area by James Hawkey Hall. Perhaps they could tarmac over a small area there and build a playground.”

A council spokeswoman said: "We understand the concerns of local residents and the Council has looked into finding suitable land for a play facility within the ward.

"This was done as part of the three year play improvement programme, which ended in March this year.

"Although there were previous discussions with the Corporation of London no agreement was made and unfortunately, there are no Council owned parks, open spaces or recreation grounds in the area that would be suitable."

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