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Summer holiday confusion as children in Wales are banned from cycling in parks

Parents say it's the only safe place - but councils want to ban bikes and ball games...

Children have been banned from cycling in a park in Wales, causing concern for parents who say it’s the only safe place.

Council parks in Denbighshire have been fitted out with signs banning bikes and ball games, along with smoking, drinking, dog fouling and littering.

One mother, Portia Cowley, 25, told the Denbighshire Free Express: ” They’ve put the no cycling sign up on the gate of the play ground at Uwch y Dre and it’s the only space that kids for cycling there.

“It’s where my children cycle, you can see the park from my house.

“I haven’t seen any children flouting the rules, but it’s deeply unfair. There are steep hills here and children can’t ride their bikes safely.

“Usually these come in after complaints and I’ve lived up there for a year and I’ve never seen anyone in there drinking or smoking. The only thing it’s stopping is little children cycling. It’s deeply unfair.

“When you’ve got younger children who are too young to go on the pathways in the forest on their own or they aren’t strong enough this is the only place they can learn.”

In another perplexing move, a sign by the play area at Maesafallen prohibits ball games - despite having goalposts and nets.

Chair of Corwen Town Council Simon Watkins said: “People want to know where they’ve come from.

“If there are kids playing, are Denbighshire enforcing it? It’s just overkill, isn’t it?

“They’ve gone over the Town Council, we weren’t aware of them.

“I don’t even know why they’ve gone up, it’s just daft. The whole reason for the park is for kids to learn to ride, play football or play rounders, and I’m surprised it doesn’t say no swinging on the swings.

“Is it health and safety just gone mad? The town council is in recess for August but there will be questions about why they’re there and at what cost.”

A spokesman for Denbighshire County Council said: “The last thing we want to do is restrict enjoyment of the play area. We have to be mindful of children’s safety and these are guidelines to ensure we can keep children safe within the play area where there is play equipment.

“The ‘no bikes’ sign is to stop children riding around the play area on bikes when other children are using the equipment and we can only allow ball games where there is enough space and a goal facility within a fenced off play area.

 

“We rely on users to be sensible and respect the play area as well as other users.”

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30 comments

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes

If there is any external funding for the park there may be specific rules/covenents on what use the park should have when accepting the money. Even then unless the council have a specific by-law it can't be enforced. As for the 'safety' bullshit comment, typical by local authority yet won't do jack shit to protect children when it comes to walking/cycling because they're too fucking busy filling in councillors claim forms to do anything to restrict motorvehicle use which DOES have an impact on child safety.

I meant also to mention that a couple of years ago we forced our local authority to 'mind it's own business' when we decided to have a short notice gathering/celebration of life/fund raiser after the sudden death of a local infant.

There was no commercial interest at all and the council told us we needed permission, then refused permission saying it was too late after saying it was okay.

So, I got stuck into them after I thought I was being courteous to let them know that a few hundred people were going to be using a small section of the park for a few hours. I first pointed out that the substantial funding from outside the council (Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund 'parks or people' scheme) was made with the proviso that the park was open for everyone to use, that it was a PUBLIC space and they had no right to stop us from turning up to use the space (freedom of assembly) just as if people would turn up and use the park on any given day and was perfectly within the bounds of normal everyday behaviour.

I also asked them what they were going to do should we turn up, who were they going to stop from being at the park and how. I made it clear that any attempt to stop people using the park was unlawful and would be considered a public order offence, possibly a common assault and I would call the police and contact the media to attend to report on their unlawful behaviour.  If they were to call the police I said they'd need a load of paddy wagons because I think several hundred people, mostly mums and kids would be more than angry with their unlawful act/threats.

Plus I'd be making a report to the organisation who helped fund the renovation of the park (£1.84M) so that they would ask for the money back because they'd failed to adhere to the specfic terms of use/whole point of being given the money.

That shut them up but it shows you how bad that local authorities are for these things.

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Samtheeagle | 6 years ago
1 like

Probably a response from lobbying by a sign installation company. That would be similar to the lobbying from the rubber matting manufacturers that led to all of our playgrounds having the grass and tarmac replaced with a product that requires frequent replacement, is suceptible to fire and teaches children that when they do something stupid you hit the deck and bounce. The consequence - now we pay less tax - our councils cannot afford to maintain the play grounds so they close the parks. Consequence, kids get fat or walk farther to get to the playground risking the chance of being hit by a car as they cross the road. 

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grumpyoldcyclist | 6 years ago
2 likes

Just a thought.......

What is the age of criminal responsibilty in the UK / Denbighshire

All those 6 year olds being taken to court...not

  

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to grumpyoldcyclist | 6 years ago
2 likes
grumpyoldcyclist wrote:

Just a thought.......

What is the age of criminal responsibilty in the UK / Denbighshire

All those 6 year olds being taken to court...not

  

Ah but the parents would be with them because the fear inducing media now make parents think there's a 100 perverts/child mollesters/kidnappets waiting in every park behind evety bush and outside school gates waiting to pounce so young kids are rarely allowed the same freedoms we had in the 70s/early 80s.
In fact letting your younger children cycle to school is considered to be a social services flag for some schools (happened a few years ago in London) and certainly in Australia it's apparent that kids cycling on their own is a massive no-no. No wondrr kids being driven to school tripled in 20 years and cycling dropped off a cliff...funnily enough right after the helmet laws!

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Dr_Lex | 6 years ago
5 likes

//www.allezredstar.com/images/parkie.jpg)

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Look555 | 6 years ago
2 likes

Just ride, fuck 'em

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Cyclax Maximus replied to Look555 | 6 years ago
5 likes

Look555 wrote:

Just ride, fuck 'em

Exactly.

All we ever seem to do in this Country, is bend over backwards when some fucking jobsworth arsewipe with nothing else better to do, gets some hare-brained idea about restricting people from enjoying themselves.

I've given up worrying about this crap. Go out and break some rules.

Still... I guess we don't live in North Korea yet...

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ConcordeCX replied to Cyclax Maximus | 6 years ago
1 like

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

Look555 wrote:

Just ride, fuck 'em

Exactly.

All we ever seem to do in this Country, is bend over backwards when some fucking jobsworth arsewipe with nothing else better to do, gets some hare-brained idea about restricting people from enjoying themselves.

I've given up worrying about this crap. Go out and break some rules.

Still... I guess we don't live in North Korea yet...

do you think cycle helmets in the Democratic People's Republic have to be the shape of the Glorious Leader's coiffure? 

I think the whole thing's a plot by the grown-us:

https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/the-playground-2

 

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OldRidgeback | 6 years ago
0 likes

Perhaps the council should reinstate the 'keep off the grass signs' as well. Skateboards, frisbees, barbecues and flower picking should all be banned. There should be no children playing games of any sort anywhere and smiling should also be disallowed on Saturdays and Sundays for religious reasons, when everyone should be prevented from speaking. Jogging should be banned and people should walk on the left, making appropriate hand signals when they wish to overtake slower groups. Chewing gum and fast food should be disallowed, along with crisps, sweets and chocolate. Park visitors should only be allowed to eat fruit or nuts and anyone dropping litter should be banned from entering the park ever again. Mobility scooters should only be be allowed for those who are actually disabled, with those wishing to use them requiredd to undergo a disability test first.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes

Fuck 'em.

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Username | 6 years ago
4 likes

If that's the sign they are using it actually means No No Cycling - in the UK signs with red circles are prohibitive, to add a diagonal must negate the prohibition.

 

Thus meaning it is forbidden to not cycle.

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yupiteru replied to Username | 6 years ago
2 likes
Username wrote:

If that's the sign they are using it actually means No No Cycling - in the UK signs with red circles are prohibitive, to add a diagonal must negate the prohibition.

 

Thus meaning it is forbidden to not cycle.

Beat me to it, I was going to say the same thing. The sign makes no sense with the diagonal line.

But on a more positive note Caerphilly Council have cycle paths through 2 parks near me. One is actually part of Route 4 of the NCN.

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psling replied to Username | 6 years ago
0 likes

Username wrote:

If that's the sign they are using it actually means No No Cycling - in the UK signs with red circles are prohibitive, to add a diagonal must negate the prohibition.

 

Thus meaning it is forbidden to not cycle.

 

True, if the sign is on a highway or ROW but what child would understand that.

Having said that, the image being used has been posted by the article writer/editor of a cycling news site so it must be correct. Mustn't it...?

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
2 likes

Probably the council's response to the Active Travel Bill, Wales.

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bendertherobot replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

Probably the council's response to the Active Travel Bill, Wales.

Act. But, this isn't about Active Travel  3

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burtthebike replied to bendertherobot | 6 years ago
0 likes

bendertherobot wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Probably the council's response to the Active Travel Bill, Wales.

Act. But, this isn't about Active Travel  3

Thanks for the correction, but surely this is Active Travel?

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bendertherobot replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Probably the council's response to the Active Travel Bill, Wales.

Act. But, this isn't about Active Travel  3

Thanks for the correction, but surely this is Active Travel?

It's kids playing, not Active Travel. It's not really designed to be about fitness, per se. Though that is an outcome. This park won't be part of an identified active travel route either on a current infrastructure plan or a future one.

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
1 like

Can't be arsed...

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SuperG | 6 years ago
5 likes

Terrible headline....'children in Wales',  it's a specific county and its ONE park!!

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bendertherobot | 6 years ago
1 like

Park becomes parks, plural. Looks like total ban. Please change the title.

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
6 likes

Nice one. Teach kids to have scant respect for those kinds of signs from an early age. I reckon they were put up by an anarchist looking to free the kids from the tyranny of seeking permission.

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
3 likes

You can't ban dog fouling, you can ban dogs!

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Goldfever4 | 6 years ago
5 likes

What the monkeys is a park for, then?? I despair...

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Yorkshire wallet replied to Goldfever4 | 6 years ago
8 likes

Goldfever4 wrote:

What the monkeys is a park for, then?? I despair...

Used to be for doing drugs and fingering girls. Things have probably moved on since the 80s. 

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HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
10 likes

If a park (randomly drops pin on map) in Bridlington had the same sign I wonder if Road CC would say "Children in England Are Banned From Cycling in Parks".

Course not. That would be silly.

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davel | 6 years ago
5 likes

"we can only allow ball games where there is enough space and a goal facility within a fenced off play area"

I wish 1,000 games of football on your lawn, using your Rover 800 as the goal.

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
5 likes

See?

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maviczap | 6 years ago
7 likes

Another positive step for healthy vibrant children, bring on the PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo

Well done Wales.

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
10 likes

Quote:

Summer holiday confusion as children in Wales Denbighshire are banned from cycling in parks

FTFY.

 

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drfabulous0 | 6 years ago
9 likes

So, you can't ride a bike, have a kick about, enjoy a beer or spliff or take your dog for a shit, seems little point in going to the park. What's the betting some developers have their eye on the parkland and want to reduce people using them?

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