IT WAS with great alarm and misgiving we read about the plans to axe or scale down play areas.

Surely, in this day and age and with the tragedy of Sarah Payne still in our minds, small-scale play areas situated among houses where children live and where their parents can see them should be increased and upgraded.

These play areas are especially for younger children, children who are especially vulnerable to the unwelcome attention of ''strangers''.

Are the needs of these younger children to be sacrificed for a ''teen zone''?

Are the young children who happily played under scrutiny in Greenlands expected to travel to a larger scale play area in Church Hill, no longer within the protective zone of their homes and their parents?

The parents of these children chose their houses so their children could play close to home. People are usually given the choice of either living next to a play area or not living in such close proximity.

The question of nuisance to residents at the moment then is irrelevant. Parents of children choose to live near safe play areas.

However, the question of nuisance may become very relevant when asking where the children are to play if their play area disappears.

Again, those who because of age and/or infirmity, choose not to live near to play areas, may now have this nuisance thrust upon them.

Children have to play somewhere and without their play areas, are much more likely to be both a nuisance to older residents and a danger to themselves, playing in the road and between parked cars.

Can the council then guarantee both the safety of these children and the future wellbeing of all residents of housing estates, both old and young?

Every time we enter the town hall we read that Redditch is "A better place to be" and we agree.

The new play area and the countryside centre in Arrow Valley Park are a credit to Redditch.

But we would say again that local play areas should not be axed but be upgraded in their own right.

They are a necessary part of every neighbourhood and their demise would not make Redditch "A better place to be."

PM Yardley

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Greenlands