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Findings
from the park visits
Monday 1st June 2009, 3:30pm – 5:30pm
11
boys aged 11-16 yrs, 15 girls aged 7-14 yrs
Several adults from neighbouring properties
Comments
from 2nd visit, 13th July, incorporated below
The majority of young people visiting
the park while we were there were pupils from Broadstone Middle on
their way home. They were mainly in small groups of about four
and the majority of the groups were divided by gender. Very
few of those using the park were outside of the 8-13 age range.
The young people were all keen to come and speak to us and let us
know what they would like to see happening at the park.
Over 2/3rds of young people we spoke
to named Lewesdon Drive as their favourite park as it is close to
their homes and school.
Whitecliff, Broadstone Recreation
Ground, Poole Park and Branksome Recreation Ground are the other
favourites due to the range of different equipment they offer.
All of those who live near the park
name it as the one they use most – again due to its proximity to
their homes and because is has space for football. We did
speak to a few others who named different parks but they were
visiting friends and so Lewesdon Drive is not their nearest play
area.
Young
people were asked what they would like to keep in the park and the
‘grass and open space’ was the most popular response. The swings,
climbing frame and roundabout were mentioned equally as equipment
they would like to keep (about 12% of respondents mentioned each).
The following were suggested as
changes to the park:
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Challenging climbing frame / wall
(5)
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Better swings / Buddy swing (5)
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Zip wire (4)
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Bigger roundabout (4)
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Replace football goal / add proper
pitch (2)
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Monkey bars made higher (2)
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Seating area away from play
equipment – perhaps a slide that has seats under it (2)
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More equipment of any type for
8-13’s (2)
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Repaint existing stuff (1)
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Water fountain (1)
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Requests for seating to be moved
(residents)
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Self-closing gates (residents)
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Better football goals
(resident/parent)
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Hexagonal swings
(resident/grandparent)
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Bike ramps (8-13 yrs)
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Monkey Bars – grandchildren aged
2-7 yrs like the existing ones; please keep them and add higher
ones rather than replace them (resident)
The adults that came to
speak with us are keen to be kept advised of progress, to see the
results of consultation and view proposals when they are available.
One of their priorities is
for us to remove the semi-circle of seating at the top end of the
play area where it is close to homes; during evening hours older
teens use the seats and cause some disturbance, They do not
object to seating being introduced in other areas of the park and
appear to appreciate the need for improved facilities for the target
age group.
They also requested
improvements to the footpath network for easier access during
 wet
weather.
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