Vandalism at Warre Rec playground in Ramsgate is likely to cost £21,000 to repair, says Thanet council.
This is in addition to £25,000 that had to be forked out for repairs last October, again due to vandals.
Thanet council says it is now “looking at different options” for play facilities based near Ramsgate Fire Station with the aim of reducing “the likelihood of further vandalism.”
For now, signs have been installed to direct people to the nearest alternative playground at Ellington Park.
Members of the public are asked to report instances of vandalism or anti-social behaviour via the council’s website.
Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Coastal Services, said: “I am disappointed that this children’s playground has been vandalised again. The actions of a small minority spoil the facilities for the local communities who should be able to enjoy them safely.”
Could not RTC cover this. With the money RTC saved by not contributing potentially to the Anti Airport campaign again they are in pocket.
Agree 100%
What people we have living in this country.I say round them up and put them in prison.There isnt any other way.The nice way doesnt work.Trouble is the prisons are at breaking point.
Read into this abit more , in other words this playground will be sold and built on more unaffordable housing, instead of building more council properties, this is TDC ,SO obvious as to what’s going to happen. Even a blind deaf person could suspect out the future plans .
Seriously!! Do you actually believe that?!
Exactly…
It’s time for a crack down on the yobs in Thanet we have more than our share of them smashing -vandalising graffiti causing mayhem with no consequences to them. The council needs to employ tactics to catch prosecute and let these criminals know they will not be tolerated.
Bill what makes you think it’s our little District Council’s job to catch and prosecute criminals? That’s way beyond their pay grade.
We do still have a police force in England but it’s not controlled by any democratically elected body any more – certainly not by a minor and enfeebled council like TDC.
the council aren’t responsible for law enforcement…
When these yobs are caught they should be made to repair the damage they have done.
Ware rec was first vandalised by T.D.C. it was a fantastic Cricket ground, before the council, in its ultimate wisdom, and knowledge, killed all the grass with weed killer.
It was indeed, I remember it well!
I noticed the new saplings are snapped in two!
The morons who are doing this are all on cctv they hang out at Ramsgate station when not vandalising the area smashing bottles and glass down the alley between the station and Margate Road and the younger kids play area spraying graffiti where ever they wish with impunity, then you have a crowd of similar aged (youth) morons wrecking Jackie Bakers, each of them has a parent who don’t care what they are doing or can’t control them if your kids one of them sort him /her out if you can’t report hi we have to stop them somehow I’m not saying vigilantes doing it but report them I have and will do not these but back in margate who did exactly the same with the help of cctvon houses and getting there addresses,we all have a duty to do it and report them for the sake of our young kids they are the ones who will suffer from the vandalising.
Nothing will change their ways, if they get caught its a smack on the wrist and lback to their old ways, the parents won’t care until it hits them in the pocket but there is unlikely to be a repayment order from wages or benefits , if the perpetrators live in social housing they should be evicted, but that won’t happen either. So in the absence of any meaningful sanction it’ll just carry on until they either mend their ways or eventually do something serious enough to be dealt with properly. In the meantime the council spends money it doesn’t have and the council tax payer has reduced services.
LC that really is it unless punishment is proper or they change their ways quickly it will go on.
word salad says what?
Anon you tell me.
It shows u bad Thanet has become now-When i was little Ramsgate was a nice place with lots to do-Pleasurama golf on the west cliff for kids Boating park Model village cinemas in the town-Nothing but anitsocial behaviour and crime everywhere.
I think it’s very unlikely that most behaviour in Ramsgate is anti-social, and equally unlikely that most Ramsgate residents commit crimes.
M M REES Depending on what you don’t class as Antisocial behaviour, graffiti, drunk and disorderly,shop theft, vandalising.all things to do with drugs, fighting, riding motorbikes up and down streets, revving engings up, loud music, urinating in the streets, damaging car mirrors or wipers, etc all of these are classed as antisocial behaviour there are more, these things happen mostly on a daily basis some less frequent, I do agree though that most Ramsgate residents do not commit crime,
Perhaps we should stop reminiscing about days of yore,50 years ago,and instead think about ways of nudging young people towards more profitable ways.it does not help that sure start and youth centres have been closed.
This is no excuse for vandalism but it has always gone on.
I also note that the skate board park is derelict and Warre rec and Jacky bakers suffers from gross underinvestment.
As for RTC paying for the repairs,it is merely shifting the burden from one set of taxpayers to another.
Of course if TDC wants to handover Warre rec and Jacky bakers to RTC that’s a different story,but TDC is like the greedy monkey with the narrow jar of grapes.
It won’t give up what it calls assets,but it cannot or will not invest in them either.
It expects Govt to bail it out with grants from various pots of government money.
All local authorities in poor areas are applying for whatever grants the government is offering. But none of those grants will replace what Cameron has taken from Local Authorities all around the country since he introduced austerity in 2012. Everywhere non-statutory services have been cut back under the guise of ‘efficiency savings’. Over £133m lost nationally on parks and gardens and open spaces in 12 years. It’s not won’t invest, it’s can’t.
“I also note that the skate board park is derelict”
Because it was built to substandard specs, locals weren’t listened to in the design process and it is actively dangerous even for seasoned, professional riders. If you fall coming out of top of the bowl, you rip yourself to shreds on the rough concrete round the edges.
If the Police actually did their job correctly it would be a start.
It will end up like the Winter Gardens and in time we will see houses built.
They should have the areas that are prone to vandalism covered by CCTV , with appropriate action being taken.
Unfortunately Thanet is looking very sad and sorry for itself, and TDC has been to busy navel gazing, apart from the shenanigans of the senior management, and wasting money on vanity projects.
When I started work some of the men had been birched for offending and getting caught, they all said you never risk a second time. What was in the play area as it seems an awful high cost to repair?
Roland, the men in suits need their cut.