A POPULAR village playground has been condemned as dangerous - and will cost almost £3,000 to make safe.

Pool-in-Wharfedale Parish Council has been left to foot a considerable bill of around £2,700 to resurface the playground after safety officers said it was 'positively dangerous'.

And the council has been put in a precarious position until the work is carried out, fearing that an injury to someone using swings or rides could give rise to problems with insurance.

A meeting of the parish council this week heard how the special bark chips laid under play equipment were biodegradable and had sunk into the ground.

Chairman Chris Leggatt said: "We have not budgeted for a whole lorry-load of bark - which is what is needed - but we are on dangerous ground without it insurance-wise.

"We have got the money but it will have to come from other budget sources. We will write to the chief executive at Leeds City Council to find out if we can get any help because it is for children and we have a high duty of care."

Now parish councillors plan to take down swings and put up notices alerting parents to the possible dangers while they wait for new bark chips to be installed - due to start as soon as possible.

Councillor Laurie Clemie said: "We do need it in operation for the school holidays. Perhaps we could take down the swings as well as putting up some sort of disclaimer in the meantime."

The meeting agreed to ask the contractors carrying out the resurfacing to work as quickly as possible as they could not physically close off the playground.

The chips form a soft mulch underneath swings and slides to prevent young bones from breaks and bruises.

But their biodegradable nature is now causing a headache for the parish council who made a big payout just a couple of years ago to introduce the substance.

And the sheer volume needed to cover the Pool playground means that even if councillors carried out much of the work themselves, they would cut little from the total cost.

Coun Leggatt said: "It is something that needs replacing on a regular basis and we are going to have to look for a more permanent solution in the next two years.

"I think we'll have to look at it closely as a future project for our budget. If we tried to do that now, we wouldn't have any money left."

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