Steve Score, Leicester Socialist Party
Hundreds of people of all ages protested outside Leicester Town Hall on 5 September against the Labour council’s ending of support for adventure playgrounds. The deafening noise must have penetrated the council chamber as they debated the 9,000-signature petition being presented. Just to be sure, the protest repeatedly marched around the Town Hall while the meeting took place!
There is huge anger at the council’s plan to ending funding for the nine playgrounds situated in some of the most deprived areas of a city where more than 40% of children live in poverty. As explained in previous issues of the Socialist, some of these playgrounds have existed for more than 50 years and have a long tradition of giving children safe places to play, learn and socialise.
This is part of the council’s cuts, which they describe as necessary to avoid a Section 114 notice, so-called ‘effective bankruptcy’. But to supposedly avoid having to make drastic cuts, the council is making those same cuts now! These include the ending of 16+ Special Educational Needs school transport. Although, in that case, the campaign managed to force the council to re-run its flawed consultation and at least delay the cut, giving more time to build the campaign try to reverse it.
The council has told playgrounds that they must find funding elsewhere, but in precipitously stopping the funding they are making even that difficult. So is the fact that they hadn’t clarified their intentions on whether they would extend the leases on the land and premises.
We understand that verbal assurances were given at the council meeting on extending the leases, but final decisions would be made by the city mayor’s ‘executive’.
Leicester Socialist Party believes that these devastating cuts are not necessary, that the council could continue the funding and build a mass campaign, including the playground supporters, to force the Labour government to put the in money needed to support local services.