'Don't forget about us': Anger playground is still closed after six months
Children made and have attached the banner to the park's side. - Credit: Guilene Marco
Children have hung a banner demanding the reopening of their local park six months after it closed for a promised revamp.
Arundel Square Playground shut due to equipment rotting with Islington Council securing much of the site due to safety concerns. Only the slide and swings remain operable.
But half a year on, the community has said they are still awaiting a plan from the Town Hall as the authority struggles to source a supplier.
Last week, children painted and hung a banner to the fence which read ‘save our playground’.
Guilene Marco, a local parent, said: “We understand the council is struggling to source a supplier for the works but many families are getting frustrated that in six months we are still in the same stage we were in May.
“This park is used daily by parents and children who don’t have access to a private garden.”
She added: “We weren't looking at blaming anyone but more a call to action.
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“Play is important for children's physical and mental well-being. They deserve to have their favourite play space back especially after all the lockdowns when all the playgrounds were closed.
“Surely someone can sort it out. We just don’t want it to be forgotten.”
Some of the equipment has only been at the site for ten years.
An Islington Council spokesperson said: “Ensuring the health and safety of local people is the council’s leading priority.
“Due to immediate safety concerns around some of the equipment in Arundel Square playground, we took the difficult decision to secure the whole playground to ensure the safety of the children that use it.
“We know that the playground is a much loved resource, and we understand the disappointment that this closure will have caused to children and families.
“The council has been working hard to source a supplier for these works but, unfortunately, a huge surge in demand and major supply issues within the play industry have meant this hasn’t yet been possible.
“The council will continue to work to find a supplier in these extremely challenging circumstances, so that the playground can reopen as soon as possible.”
