FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edgarstown Play Area Project
Working together...
August 2002 --
Edgarstown Residents Association, supported by The PLACE Initiative, would like to show appreciation for Mrs Robinson’s concern over children’s safety in the play-park project the Association is currently working on. However, we as a community group feel the following issues should be raised and noted to the local community.
Edgarstown Residents Association
have fully researched Children’s Safety prior to seeking and securing funding
from Children in Need. We also
identified two sites for the play area, behind the public house and the central
green in the Union Street area. We
found in a survey of all households in Edgarstown, inclusive of Union Street,
Margaret Street, West Street, North Street, Greenview Gardens, Woodlands Manor
and Montague Street, the community identified the imperative need for a play
park in the area and the overall majority favoured the site of behind the public
house.
An evaluation of the proposed site was completed by the residents group and verified by a grants officer from Children in Need who also visited and agreed the site, noting that the site was open and easily viewed from the community base therefore, easily accessible to the community group for cleaning and site-protection purposes. Whereas the central green site is enclosed and unsuitable for child protection due to the poor visibility factor. The association is consequently targeting a future project for an older age group who currently use the site as a football/sports pitch.
The Association have also been campaigning for traffic-calming measures on the Edgarstown Road/Union Street area supported by Local Councillors, the DRD and the PSNI. We feel that had we the support of Mrs Robinson the traffic-calming measures could possibly have been implemented quicker, not only protecting the children of the area but also the patrons who frequent her establishment.
We would like to question Mrs Robinson’s statement in which she stated that the community at large did not support the proposed site, we would note that not only did the Edgarstown Residents Association carry out a survey on the need for a play area but also on where the park should be located. Craigavon Borough Council also conducted an independent survey, of which the findings corresponded with the Edgarstown Residents Association survey, on the feasibility of the site, whereas the survey carried out by Mrs Robinson’s son and daughter cannot be classed as independent due to the invested interest that Mrs Robinson has on the proposed site.
We are also concerned that Mrs Robinson as well as elected members Mervyn Carrick, MLA and Alderman Gardiner have not consulted with or approached the community group in their capacity as elected members. In reference to Mrs Robinson’s article in which Alderman Gardiner states that children entering the pub could cause trouble for the owners, we found this an interesting comment as Alderman Gardiner did not mention the parents of these children at all, let alone his mis-representation for offering the opportunity of consultation with Edgarstown Residents Association. We would like to remind Alderman Gardiner that within the constitution of the Edgarstown Residents Association, of which a copy is held within the Development Department of Craigavon Borough Council, it states quite clearly within the aims and objectives that the youth are a priority, however, we as a community group cannot be held responsible for children or those who are not in our care.
Although Mrs Robinson and members of her family were present at our recent AGM held in the Epworth Church, she did not raise her concerns with the residents committee or the local community that were present, even though she had the opportunity to do so.
We as representatives of the community have endeavored to be transparent and approachable at all times especially throughout the duration of this project.
We would like to meet with the local church in the Edgarstown area to discuss the disagreement with the play-area, we also find it hard to believe they have not raised this issue with the group to date, especially when we worked so closely on the successfully peaceful Edgarstown Bonfire this year.
We do however, feel it was misguiding for the public that Mrs Robinson’s article did not mention the fact that she has also applied for and received planning permission for the same land to extend her public house, so we as a community group actually wonder what is going on.
Edgarstown Residents Association will not compromise the safety of children at any time for any reason and we welcome the opportunity to present our views and findings on the play park or any issue relating to the project at any time.
For More Information Contact:
The PLACE Initiative
The Basement Office, Corcrain Community Centre, Portadown
Tel: 028 38 337458
FAX: 028 38 337527
Internet: [email protected]