Broken and missing equipment, dog’s mess, broken benches and bottles, drugs paraphernalia and worn out surfaces – concerned local parents are this week asking Radstock Town Council why the Tom Huyton playpark, once known as the jewel in the crown of Radstock, is being left to fall into decline when they are paying one of the highest rates of Council Tax in the area.

Concern has been growing over the maintenance of the park, which, along with the Miner’s Memorial Gardens, at the site of the historic wheel, is in the care of the Town Council. The park site, however, is leased by B&NES, which is due for renewal at the end of March.

B&NES Council, which needs to find an extra £3.6 million this year, may well be more than happy to hand this site over to the Town Council in future as a community asset transfer, which would mean it would be solely responsible for a large (and potentially expensive) area, which currently includes the Five Arches. The most important question, however, is that if this happens – will the Town Council have the resources to keep the park?

Since the Community Governance Review in 2011, which saw Midsomer Norton and Radstock become separate Town Councils and Westfield a Parish Council, Radstock found itself on the wrong side of the map, with some expensive sites to maintain, all on its own. Back then, this included the ailing, but now thriving, Victoria Hall (now leased by B&NES), the Tom Huyton playpark, the Memorial Gardens and the Five Arches. For the first year, B&NES Council offered financial assistance whilst the Town Council found its feet, but made it clear that it would need to find a way financially thereafter. To pay for all of these assets, residents received a steep hike in Council Tax, with rates rising by 55% in 2012. By 2013, parents were complaining about the public toilets at the park, which the Town Council later refurbished.

Back in 2003, £278,000 was spent on new equipment for the park and freshening it up. With the help of the Radstock and Midsomer Norton Lions, local fundraisers at the Stones Cross pub and Mowlem Construction, play equipment for disabled children was installed, including a wheelchair accessible roundabout and wheelchair and cradle swings. New fencing and the extension of the car park was also completed with this new equipment, at a cost of £80,000. This inclusive equipment, which the community tried to provide, is currently missing from the park.

Speaking this week, Radstock’s B&NES Ward and Town Councillor, Chris Dando (Labour), said that the Town Council does have the money to invest in the playpark in future and it had been obtaining quotes from suppliers “for several months”, with the hope that proposals will be forthcoming at the next meeting on 18th January.

Writing to another local Councillor, a concerned parent said that the community were even willing to do the work themselves, if only they could have some help and the assurance that work would be up to safety standards. They said: “I speak on behalf of the community when I say we would appreciate it if the park was brought back to its original standards and maintained. We don’t pay council tax to be ignored and brushed to one side and we as a community and as the residents of Radstock and Midsomer Norton, deserve a little in return.”

A spokesperson for Radstock Town Council said this week that they were: “Very aware of ongoing issues at the park. There has been a lot of vandalism, including broken fencing, before Christmas. We are working with a contractor and this will soon be fixed.

“However, in the long-term, we will be reviewing plans for the Tom Huyton playpark and will be in discussions with B&NES regarding the lease. There are quotes in place to do the work needed, but because of this issue, we are not in a position to move forward.”

For now, it seems, the park will have to be patched up where possible, but many local parents, who have fond memories of using the park themselves as children, will no doubt be closely watching how this unfolds.