South Kesteven District Council to spend £50,000 to repair and inspect play equipment
They're aiming to improve health and wellbeing opportunities for young people
A council will spend £50,000 a year for the next three years on play equipment repairs and inspections.
Members of South Kesteven District Council’s (SKDC) cabinet agreed to award a contract to Kompan Limited for a period of three years – with the option to extend it for a further two.
The contractor will carry out monthly operational inspections to play equipment.
It will also provide unlimited user access to its real-time play area inspection app and software and will undertake annual servicing of zip-wires in the council’s play areas.
Kompan Limited will also carry out equipment repairs and will monitor new and existing play equipment to help identify when new equipment is required.
SKDC currently employs qualified staff to carry out weekly visual inspections of its 35 parks across the district – but the new contractor employs a qualified inspector to carry out monthly operational inspections.
As part of the new contract, SKDC officers will move across to recording their weekly inspections of play equipment on the contractor’s new inspection app.
SKDC officials said that officers will be able to see all reports about play area equipment in one place and will be able to download copies of the inspection reports – which they argue will allow SKDC to maintain overall control of the contractor.
At a meeting on Tuesday, April 7th, deputy leader Paul Stokes said:
“The report is actually to talk about the reward of the contract for play equipment, but I think it also underlines the tremendous commitment from this administration in terms of play equipment and the way we’ve got about 35 play areas across the district."
“It provides health and wellbeing opportunities for young people of all ages to test out play equipment and maintain our equipment."
“It’s something that I feel quite passionate about. I feel that previously we’ve not had such a wonderful approach to the way we look after play equipment.”
The new contract was approved unanimously by SKDC cabinet members.