A call for greater transparency over Erewash Borough Council’s programme of play-area improvements has been rejected by councillors.
The motion was proposed by Reform UK councillor Paul Maginnis and seconded by Cllr Dan Price at Thursday evening’s Full Council meeting.
It sought clearer information about which play areas would be refurbished, the expected timescales and regular progress updates for ward councillors to help them keep residents informed.
Councillors were told that 14 play areas were due to receive investment over an 18-month period as part of a programme worth approximately £1.2 million.
The motion was defeated by a show of hands.
Councillor says information has been difficult to obtain
Introducing the motion, Cllr Maginnis said councillors had heard repeatedly about investment in parks but that residents had yet to see improvements at a number of locations.
He referred to play areas in Sawley, including Harrington Play Area, and said he had struggled to obtain clear answers about when promised work would take place.
Cllr Maginnis said he had contacted council officers but had not received the information he was seeking.
He argued that ward councillors should receive regular updates about the progress of improvements so that they could communicate accurate information to residents.
In his closing remarks, he questioned why councillors should be expected to search through numerous council documents for information after directly asking the relevant service for an answer.
Council says plans are already publicly available
Labour councillor Joel Bryan said details of the investment programme had already been included in published Erewash Investment Fund papers.
He said Wash Meadow Play Area had received a complete replacement, while other locations were scheduled to receive work in stages.
Cllr Bryan said Harrington Play Area was expected to be completed in spring 2027 and that the wider list of proposed improvements was publicly available.
He described the programme as significant investment in play facilities which had been neglected for many years.
Labour councillor Frank Phillips also argued that the information could be found in council budget papers, investment fund reports and minutes.
He referred to the recently opened Wash Meadow Play Area, which he said was a significant improvement on the limited equipment previously available.
Cllr Phillips strongly criticised the motion, arguing that the suggestion of a lack of transparency was unfounded.
Fourteen parks planned within 18 months
Cllr Mark Alfrey said the council had historically refurbished an average of one or two play areas each year.
He said the current programme would deliver improvements at 14 parks within approximately 18 months, representing a considerable increase in the rate of investment.
Cllr Alfrey said the programme had already been published and was intended to deliver practical improvements for residents before Erewash Borough Council is replaced through local government reorganisation.
Councillors were also told that the expenditure had been included within the council’s agreed budget strategy, meaning the funding had already been allocated.
Conservative leader votes against motion
Conservative group leader Wayne Major acknowledged that Cllr Maginnis appeared to have experienced difficulty obtaining a clear response from officers.
However, he said bringing a motion to Full Council may not have been the best way to resolve that problem and suggested the relevant information should simply have been provided.
Cllr Major said his group supported investment in play areas but was concerned that introducing additional processes could slow the delivery of work which had already been approved.
He also warned that the council needed to act quickly before further spending controls connected with local government reorganisation were introduced.
Cllr Major therefore voted against the motion, while calling on the administration to accelerate delivery of the existing programme.
Motion defeated
Cllr Maginnis maintained that publishing information in council papers was not a substitute for responding clearly to councillors’ enquiries.
He said regular updates would improve communication between the council, ward representatives and residents.
The motion was subsequently defeated by a show of hands. The existing play-area investment programme will continue without the additional reporting arrangements requested by the motion.