What do you think of Tories charging kids to play in park?

To clarify - this is ONE tory council, not a national government policy. Nor is it even common to tory councils, let alone councils as a whole.

Nonetheless, it's disgusting. Utterly inexcusable. In situations like this I always try to see *both* sides. Here though it's just a plain, outright bad decision. I'd even go as far as to call it theft.

This is public land. Its upkeep is paid for by peoples' taxes. You have to pay to get into, say, Alton Towers - but that's land that's owned by them as a private venture. What Wandsworth council have effectively done is to turn the *public* playground into a private venture without taxpayers' permission. I can see some saying that £2.50 is not nearly as much as a day out at a theme park - but a trip to a theme park is a special event, something you might do once every few years. A public playground is an everyday thing to give children somewhere to play and parents some respite. To put it into context - for that hypothetical parent with 2 children, they could go to Alton Towers every single month and it would be cheaper than using their local playground 5 times a week.

You said, that children, "should be encouraged to go to parks, not discouraged". I couldn't agree more.

In some ways Mac, I'm beginning to come around to your way of thinking. Up until fairly recently I considered the tories to be the lesser of two evils vs labour. I've even voted tactically for them to try & keep out labour in 3 out of the 4 elections I've voted in. A few things have come to light in the last few weeks that have changed my mind - I think I was giving the tories more credit than they deserve.

Perhaps it's an age thing. When they were last in power maybe I was too young to realise just how bad the tories really were.

ETA: @Mad Max.

"Why should the Council Tax payers have to keep forking out to repair and replace equipment which the children damage?"

Because it's a council facility. Would it be better that children from poorer families were denied access to recreational space? Even if you're not bothered about that from a moral perspective, what do you propose that those children priced out of constructive recreational play do instead? Any chance the crime rate would go up?

"Most families get enough in family allowances, tax credits and benefits to pay it."

Really? Where on earth can we get enough in benefits to find an extra £25 a week? What about those of us that aren't entitled to a penny?

ETA: @ Kit fang:

"it's also silly to be wasting public money on an adventure playground - especially in such a poor area"

Especially in a poor area? So it wouldn't be so bad if it was for children from more prosperous families, then....

Is this some kind of birthright, if you're born into wealth then you are somehow more deserving of (e.g.) adventure playgrounds?

For the life of me, I can't get my head around that.

ETA@ Anne Marie A: I couldn't agree more.

ETA: @ Sam. This has nothing to do with the LibDems, or the fact we have a coalition government. It's a decision that was made locally, not nationally.

I think it will cut down the use of the park to the point where they will feel able to sell it off for development.

Wandsworth council have deliberately ignored the fact that children make short visits to a park, maybe going 3 or 4 times a day if it's a non-school day. They are demanding £2.50 a visit. What if the children need to use the loo, or nip home to get a football or something to eat? It is a deliberate ploy to stop people using the park.

The three of my children who are old enough to visit our local park go perhaps ten times a week each. That's 10 x 3 x £2.50 = £75 a week!

It's entirely consistent with the neoliberal jungle principle that the user pays what those in command deem to be the market price, whether for a university degree course or some fun on the swings. Some of the madder ones would like to apply this to the fire brigade, too - not so much back to the 1930s as to the eighteenth century. OK for their monied cronies, and serves decent ordinary people right for not being rich like us, or words to that effect.

We need to tear down the mad world that Hayek and Thatcher built once and for all, and consign neoliberalism to the dustbin of history.

That goes for Pink Ed's graduate tax, too.

Something had changed in my little local park several weeks ago. The City & a participating company and community volunteers built a new little playground for young kids. They took out the old playground and built not only the new playground but also some wooden benches. It was about neighborhood involvement - over 200 people participated in the build. Since that day - there has been an increase in the number of parents & children at the park. I walk my dogs twice a daily and we see dozens of new young families with young children in the late afternoons & evenings. During the early mornings, its mostly older folks - adults & SCs walking - some like me with their dog.

Lets get the facts right.

Entry to the park is free.

Entry to the supervised play area that costs £200,000 a year to run may be chargeable, at the moment it's paid for by the Council Tax payers of the area.

It is not a statutory duty of the council to provide such a service so why shouldn't the actual users pay for their parks perks rather than the local tax payers. I expect as usual, the people who are squealing the loudest either don't pay any taxes, or pay very little.

That £200,000 could go a long way to paying for essential services.

Remember that it's the political party that you probably support that has caused the mess that the new government and your local authority are trying to sort out. They seem to be doing a pretty good job about it, the Conservatives who you describe as Tories, received tremendous support in last week's local elections.

Well asked Mac. Disregard @kit fangs reply. From the history of most of her answers I've seen on here she would be in favour of the banks charging us to go into the buildings to try and take out our money. They already charge us for everything else under the sun as well as what they can rip off out of the government purse with the aid of our politicians.

Still it is no worse than a neighbouring local council near me. Labour controlled as well. Part of their cost cutting scheme is that they have removed all the play ground equipment and claim they have sold it for scrap to help pay for the cuts this government has forced on us. WAS that really necessary when most of them are on more than 20 thou a year in expenses as they call it? I call it a wage seeing as they usually don't turn up for the council meetings most of them or if they do it is so they can guzzle the free wine and sarnies provided.

No matter what. As long as we vote for any of the 3 main parties we are only going to get people with flawed character and morals in our government.

What did ppl think voting Tories. Gordon Brown was a terrible PM, but there was no need to get rid of Labour. A change of leadership in the party as opposed to a wholesale change to the Tories would have been much better.

Liberal Democrats are suppose to keep these horrid Tories in check, but they obviously haven't been used to governing, so we have to look again in 5 years.

The Tories think we are all undeserving "Chattering classes". They will always treat the general public with contempt. Shame on us.

You were all warned !!!

To be honest with the questioner.The word play in the park years ago is far different that what playing in the park is today.

Years ago children years ago respected the play area that was allotted for them and did very or no damage to the amenities.

Today the picture is far different.How often do you hear of pavilions being burnt down? Or flower beds and shrubs being ripped up.

So playing in the park has different connotations and meaning years ago than it does now?

So a question keeps going round in my head. Just who should pay for the continual repairs caused by mindless vandalism?

Because someone has to pay for these repairs and replacements!Which ever local political party is in power.

This is a digusting idea, !!!!! people moan when kids have nothing to do, and loit around the streets up to know good, charging people to use a park, willon increase kids on the streets.

privitisation will on beneift the privilegded few, it is no childs fault that their parents can not afford things.

so much for FREE SOCIETY, AND DEMOCRACY, WHEN NO ONE IN THIS NATION CALLED FOR SUCH NONCENCE ARGH I'M MAD !!! if they ever charged my brothers i would go mentle and rally up a bunch of kids and storm the park, no one can touch them afer all they are kids ?

viva la revolution !

Sounds about right giving the Tory mentality on profits.