Safety improvements and "younger" area needed at playpark

Newtown Town Council's Services Committee will tonight consider proposals to improve facilities at Maesyrhandir Playpark and enhance road safety near the local school.

The motion, proposed by Councillor Darryl Gwilt, seeks to address concerns that the current playpark primarily caters to older children, leaving younger users with limited options.

"I would like to put forward to alter Maesyrhandir play park as soon as we possibly could," states Cllr Gwilt in the motion documentation. "The park is more for older children rather than infants."

The proposal recommends sectioning off part of the existing park to create a dedicated area for children aged two and above, where parents could supervise their younger children safely.

In addition to the playpark improvements, the motion addresses growing road safety concerns near Maesyrhandir School. With recent population growth in the area due to new housing developments and the school itself, traffic volumes have significantly increased.

The second part of the motion calls for the Town Council to approach Powys County Council regarding the installation of a pedestrian crossing outside the school grounds.

"We should seriously consider approaching PCC about placing a pedestrian crossing outside Maesyrhandir School grounds for the safety of the school children and parents because of the drastic increase in traffic recently," the motion states.

While acknowledging potential challenges with implementing a crossing in this location, Cllr Gwilt emphasises that "these problems need to be overcome for the safety of parents and children in a rapidly expanding area."

The Services Committee meeting will take place this evening, 12th May, where members will vote on both parts of the motion.