Martin Brookes Oakham: Kompan

Showing posts with label Kompan. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Oakham Town Council and Kompan Play Equipment

Oakham Town Council has just installed some new play equipment into Cutts Close Oakham

The equipment is designed for older children.

and supplied by Kompan

Oakham Town Council received a bribe or was that

an incentive? to award this contract to this company.

Kompan gave Oakham Town Council one piece free

because they were awarded the £50,000

contract for the equipment installed at Royce

recreation ground early this year.

At a recent meeting of this dysfunctional authority

the Town Clerk Richard White told members it is a legal

requirement for the council to tender for such a

large spend. I am guessing he was looking after his own interest there

Any investigation into council affairs and he can say I told

councillors about their obligations.

Rather late in the day! to do this as the council

had already summited plans to English Heritage

and spent thousands in costs, if the Councillors had

decided to tender then they would have had to pay again.

so Councillors voted to break the law and not tender for this contract.

It is my understanding they also failed to tender for the

£50,000

Royce Contract

Is not time the local Tax Payers

took on this Council!

www.kompan.com

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Royce Recreation Ground Oakham

Dear Members.

After today's opening please could the large ring swing be removed.

After looking at the impact damage of the first ring I became concerned about the equipments safety. You will notice the weld did not break a chunk of the steel tube was ripped away.

Yesterday I observed the use of the equipment or its misuse. I see the effects of the impact of the replacement ring when it hits the frame. The young people are swinging with a great deal of force, when the ring hits the frame impact is so great the whole structure moves. I am very concerned we wont just end up with a crumpled steel ring.

If a head or limb of a young person strikes the supporting frame the consequences could be dire.

I am told other equipment can be fitted to the frame, Can I suggest the ring is replaced with something that can not be pushed to hit the frame with such force.

From

Cllr Martin Brookes

Friday, April 30, 2010

Vandals Break Oakhams New Play Equipment

Vandals Break Oakham's New Play Equipment

http://www.rutland-times.co.uk/letters/Letter-Equipment-vandalised.6262670.jp

A letter has been published in the Rutland Times 'Congratulations all round to those involved in the new play equipment at Royce Park.'

'It was an excellent choice of equipment by the town council.'

(The equipment was chosen by the children and their families)

The large swing has now been broken twice by groups of local teenagers, the first time within three days of being open, the second time within three days of having been repaired.

(Sadly the swing was never designed for 30 young people to use at the same time)

The swing seat has again been removed for repair. We now have an art installation of a three-arch metal structure with chains.

(The Swing is beyond repair this time Kompan as a good will guesture will replace it free this time, in future it looks like the local tax payer will have to foot the bill)

Another excellent choice was the large blue raised stage/dance area cum target for children to throw rocks at (Oh sorry apparently that is a container used by the contractors that remains on site three weeks after they left.) Surely somebody, either the council or the contractors, should have had this removed.

(I spoke to Oakham Town Council this morning, it appears Rutland County Council have not responded to the Town Council request to store new play equipment destined for Cutts Close, The Town Clerk is currently on sick leave and his assistant is chasing this up now.)

Other than that, the rest of the equipment is very good. The only downside is that people don't seem to use the bins.

(There are many bins in the area and yes the writer is correct they are rarely used some day's you would think the street and play area was the litter bin. I have witnessed adults as well as young people dropping litter. unfortunately I don't think Rutland County Council has any bylaws regarding litter, I guess this is why they don't employ enforcement officers. The littering of the County is a huge problem, I have spoken to litter pickers who clean the layby's beside the A1. the spend up to 2 hours a day clearing litter. They provide their bosses with before and after photographs as the men in suits did not think they were doing the job correctly. I am not sure where they think they collected the daily truck load of litter from?)

Probably the local schools could run workshops on how to use a bin, although I would miss watching my council tax being spent on two or three men spending anywhere up to an hour collecting the litter some days.

(fortunately the Town Council pays a flat fee for litter picking. Also Cllr Joyce Lucas unpaid clears up every day. Parents could play a role in this. When I was a child I was told to bring the litter home and then told off for forgetting to take the litter out of my pockets on wash day!)