Baynards Primary School in Tiptree wants safer playground

Judith Dale, head at Baynards Primary School, has applied for permission to regenerate part of the playground at the school in Townsend Road, Tiptree.

In her application to Colchester Council’s planning department, she said the playground equipment was installed 20 years ago and “needs to be replaced”.

Mrs Dale explained a tree survey completed last year revealed large tree roots “which pose a risk to the children” have grown under the equipment.

Site - Baynards Primary School in Tiptree (Image: Google)

“The wooden borders around the play equipment which were designed to keep the rubber safety surface in place are rotting and several have broken,” she said.

If approved, new equipment would be installed on the grass to avoid tree roots.

The school also wants to redesign a fenced-off pond area next to the playground which has not been used for more than 17 years and “has fallen into serious disrepair”, offering “no value to the children’s education or school experience”.

The proposals could see the pond filled in and levelled, creating an open grassy space where children can play.

Mrs Dale wrote: “Although we have space for the children to play, the vast majority of this is playground and we would like the children to have access to more natural and grassy areas.”