It might save the authority £5,000 annually and scale back dangers to employees members
Members of Neath Port Talbot Council have agreed to a public session on proposals to go away sure parks throughout the county borough open in a single day. The transfer has been mentioned at various latest council scrutiny conferences as a part of a bid for the authority to chop prices, enhance effectivity, and higher handle their sources.
It might additionally scale back the dangers to employees attending parks at evening, after various points in recent times left them uncovered to abuse when asking members of the general public to go away.
The newest choice got here after a earlier report back to members which outlined how procedures meant that neighbourhood companies employees needed to open and shut parks and gardens within the county borough each morning and night, seven days every week.
Nevertheless, after a interval the place parks have been left open in 2024 as a consequence of points with employees illness it was famous that aside from some issues at Skewen Park there was no improve in anti-social behaviour.
Financial savings from the transfer might ultimately be value round £5,000 annually to the native authority with the employees who open and shut the park gates relocated to work in playground administration.
Officers stated regardless of this saving, the primary purpose for the initiative was due to the “frequent failure of lock-in operations” and difficulties with individuals staying within the parks in a single day.
Additionally they mentioned suggestions from a latest trial interval, which befell over 4 months, and confirmed that locking the parks over evening wasn’t useful, highlighting that over 50% of suggestions involved Victoria Gardens in Neath.
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This park was stated to have distinctive challenges as a consequence of its proximity to Neath city centre and will doubtlessly be excluded from the mission consequently.
The report lists a complete of 14 parks and gardens throughout the county borough as being part of the initiative.
These embody locations just like the King George Memorial Park in Pontardawe, Jersey Park in Briton Ferry, Baglan Park in Baglan, and the Talbot Memorial Park in Port Talbot.
The session was authorized at a gathering held on June 10, 2025, and can now be carried out to realize a “wider understanding of the potential points that would happen from everlasting implementation of adjustments to park opening and shutting operations.”
The session is predicted to final for six to eight weeks with the outcomes to be introduced again to the council’s cupboard together with any ultimate proposals.
