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Dovehouse Come and Play

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On 10 April 2009 Eynsham Parish Council was awarded up to £45,000 to develop facilities for ages 8-13 at Wytham View play area. There were 32 applicants for financial year 2009-10 and only 11 Playbuilder grants available. The work must be completed by 31 March 2010. Further reading: Eynsham Play Areas; Play Area Committee; Gallery - official opening.

CONSULTATION

• Extensive consultation included visits to the primary school, to discuss what local children would like to see. 75 households returned a completed survey form; view full results. Wytham View scored lowest of the three play areas, with an average 3.63 points on a scale of 1-5 (1=excellent, 5=insufficient).
• The Parish Council held a free Play Day on 5 August 2009, as part of the consultation process. The event was open to young people aged 13 and under, accompanied by a parent or carer (permission slips for climbing had to be completed by an adult). Thanks to attractions such as a climbing wall, face painting, paper folding and football coaching / games, around 100 people came to join in the fun - click on the slideshow link above.
• On Saturday 5 September all parishioners were invited to drop in at the Sports Pavilion on Oxford Road and see the Committee proposals. A further meeting was held with residents on 12 October - view notes.
• To celebrate completion of the new play area, the Parish Council would like to rename the site. All children of 13 and under are invited to post their suggestions (plus age and contact details) in the library. The winner will be guest of honour at the opening.

GRANTS UPDATE

• Playbuilder (for 8-13 year olds): £45,000
• COMMA (for ages 0-8): £10,000
• OCC Play Day funding: £500
• Parish Council: £5,000
• WODC (for ages 0-8): £5,000.
• OCC Aiming High (for disabled children): £19,000

MILESTONES 2009

• 20 October: Key recommendations from the Play Area Committee minutes:
  • To retain the current age range for the play area as 14 years and under.
  • To use the SE corner of the site for the junior multi-play unit - this should not have areas where youths can congregate and should comprise of ropes, scrambling nets etc and the issue of overlooking the swimming pool should be considered. Landscaping should be incorporated around the boundaries of the site. No shelter will be placed on site at present. The existing entrance should remain in its current position on the SW corner.
  • To request the police to place a greater priority on the area with immediate effect.
  • To work with residents to set up a working group to look at the play area in more detail with members from Council, local residents and users of the play area.
• 4 November: proposals for Wytham View Play Area have been substantially revised in the light of feedback. Details are published here today - view site plan and representations of proposed equipment.
• 17 November: the Parish Council has agreed that all points raised by the residents' & users' working group and the Primary School will be taken into account in the final design brief - read the minutes >>

MILESTONES 2010

• 6 January: the final Design Brief was approved by WODC today. Work begins at once, with completion set for 15 March.
• 12 January: the Play Area Committee has agreed a Project Plan - read the minutes. Don't forget the renaming competition!
• 16 February: discussions on a local Neighbourhood Action Group are under way and a Play Area Policy has been drafted - read the minutes >>
• 8 March: work began onsite today, with opening planned for the end of March and official opening on Friday 7 May at 15:30. The new Play Area Policy has been adopted by the Parish Council and is now online.
• 16 March: the new area is now officially Dovehouse Come and Play - read the minutes >>
• 25 March: a path has been laid across the area; foundations are in for the roundabout; diseased trees and misplaced branches have been removed; and hardcore is being spread at the western entrance to protect the grass from heavy equipment. New signs are on order for each entrance, acknowledging the main funding providers.
• 7 April: the junior multiplay unit is taking shape around the trees and the swing frame has been installed. The slideshow includes work in progress - click on the link above.
• 15 April: swing frames are all in, as are the uprights for the slide by the mounds. Framework for the tunnel is almost complete and the sandpit has been dug out. Pits have been dug under all frames ready for safety surfaces. Walkways, bridges, rails, slides etc are ready to have their final components attached; roundabout mountings are in place and just need final fitting.
• 7 May: the former Wytham View Play Area has been transformed. There is a separate image gallery for today's official opening. You are warmly invited to support plans for future monitoring of the site - read more >>
• 31 August: the Play Area now has its own supporters group - read the notes >>
• 20 September: the basket swing at Dovehouse “Come and Play” has been damaged, with other items, in what seems a deliberate act of vandalism - read more >>
• 17 November: the Play Area Committee met last night to consider a report from the residents' group and a quotation for planting - read the minutes >> >>

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