After being contacted by concerned residents, I asked council staff why it is taking so long for new play equipment to be installed at the Craigielea Avenue play area.

I have now received a reply and have been told council staff cannot give me any definite information about when the new equipment will be installed.

The full text of the reply I received from council staff is:

Dear Councillor

Craigielea Avenue Play area

Unfortunately I can not give you any more definite information regarding  installation dates than I was able to give back in July. 

The order for the installation was passed by ourselves some time ago and the new equipment is currently sitting with the supplier.  As I am sure you will appreciate the safe and competent installation of playground equipment is a very specialised operation.  The number of contractors qualified to install play equipment nationwide is extremely limited and the numbers working in the North East, even more limited.  Unfortunately one of these contractors has been hit  by serious illness which has inevitably knocked some timescales back.  With no alternative installation contractors available at short notice it is not possible to give a more definite timescale for this installation at the moment.

We have good working relationships with our suppliers and contractors and can advise that everything that can be done to  move things forward is being done. 

Whilst we appreciate that some members of the public are being inconvenienced by this situation we would hope that some understanding could be shown in these circumstances. 

I would advise your constituents who wish to use a play area that the nearest  alternative site is only around 500m away at Thorngrove Crescent where they will find an attractive site containing a small climbing frame, springer and a see saw.

In the meantime we will continue our close communication with the contracted supplier and will let you know once a new  date for installation is provided.

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