Days after a petition was set up urging a contractor to pay to put right a faulty play park refurbishment, the council said that talks were under way.
Labour councillor David McGregor, who represents Whitehawk and Marina ward, started the petition after complaints about the closure of the play area known a Middle Park.
It closed last September soon after having reopened after a refurbishment costing £120,000 because children were coming home stained with black marks from the soft tarmac flooring.
The petition said that the contractor, Eibe Play, was refusing to foot the bill to rectify the problems with the tarmac surfacing.
Brighton and Hove News reported the story yesterday and shortly afterwards received a statement from the council.
The statement said: “Brighton and Hove City Council is working with the contractor who installed the ground surface at a play area, which subsequently had to close, to help us fund repairs.
“As part of a multimillion-pound investment in local playgrounds, the council spent £120,000 improving facilities at Middle Park, in Whitehawk Way, only for concerns to be raised about parts of the newly installed safety surface flooring on the site.
“The concerns were about excessive staining which is not (usual) after such a short length of time. As a result, the council closed the site in September 2023 – much to the disappointment of local residents.
“The play area, which is hugely popular with families and young people in Whitehawk, has remained closed ever since and the council has been told repairs could cost in the region of £100,000.
“The council does not believe this unexpected and additional cost, way above the original budget for the scheme, should be met by the local taxpayer and is asking Eibe Play Ltd, the company which installed the surface flooring, to help fund the cost of replacing it.
“Eibe and RTC Safety Surfacing, the provider and installer of the surfacing, have offered the council a number of options and discussions are ongoing.
“Eibe Play Ltd is a valued contractor and we have worked together on a number of projects in recent years with some great results.
“Our parks and play areas are a vital part of our communities and provide residents with somewhere free to spend time enjoying themselves and being active with friends and family. They have never been more vital than in the midst of this ‘cost of living crisis’.
“The design for the refurbished play area at Middle Park was created in partnership with Park Life and the local community. It’s the largest and most-well used playground in the area.
“With the summer holidays fast approaching and families desperate for somewhere nearby to spend time having fun outdoors, the council is discussing possible options and solutions with Eibe Play Ltd so the play area can be enjoyed again as soon as possible.”
Good on Cllr. McGregor for championing this.