YOUNGSTERS were left with nowhere safe to play over the school holidays after the playing field in Welford was locked without warning.
A petition for the reopening of of the playing field on Headland Road has attracted hundreds of signatures and counting. Parents were left bamboozled over why the governors of Welford Primary School decided to lock the gate at 5pm on Friday May 24 just as the school half-term holiday began.
The online petition “Reopen Welford-on-Avon Park After School Hours” has been launched by resident Anthony Ryan.
Anthony told the Observer that the gate was shut and padlocked by the governors with no proper explanation or warning. There was only a notice on the gate to say it was being closed out of school hours due to the school’s obligations to “safeguard children at all times”.
Anthony said the villagers had been given no prior notice of the plans to close the playing fields and that children and families have been left with nowhere safe in the village to play as a result.
He said youngsters had been spotted playing football on the Maypole Green next to the busy High Street instead.
Anthony continued: “Parks are essential for children’s physical and mental well-being, providing a safe environment for them to play, socialise, and stay active. Reopening the park will benefit not only the children but also parents who need a secure place for their kids to unwind after school.”
Anthony and his fellow frustrated parents have also written to the school governing body for an explanation but have received an out of office reply as the school is closed for half-term.
An extract from the letter reads: “The children of Welford deserve better and are not safer due to your actions. Without warning, a well-established safe space has been removed by you as governors of Welford Primary School. This unilateral decision by the governing body is both overreaching and unhelpful in maintaining a relationship with the community you serve.”
The petition, which has been signed by almost 300 people so far, can be found at https://www.change.org/p/reopen-welford-on-avon-park-after-school-hours?
