The developer at the centre of a Chudleigh play park health and safety row has maintained a wall of silence despite repeated efforts to get them to speak.
Angry parents in the town are worried children will have nowhere to play this summer after Cavanna Homes were forced to fence off play parks in Millstream Meadow and Culver Green. Both were built by Cavanna as part of the deal which allowed it to develop scores of new homes.
But the firm failed to have essential RoSPA health and safety checks carried out – a national legal requirement – and the parks must close. Attempts to obtain information from Cavanna proved fruitless as on Monday no one was available to comment.
On Tuesday a receptionist said the person who could comment, Ian Pugsley, was in a meeting but would call later. He failed to do so and on Wednesday we were told Mr Pugsley was ill and that no one else, not even the managing director, Jeremy Cavanna, could comment.
Teignbridge Council, which gave permission for the new houses and play parks, said it was 'very disappointed' at the closures but added it had alerted Cavanna to the need for health and safety checks. 'The need for such an assessment was made clear some months ago at the time of contract with the play equipment suppliers,' said spokesman, Michelle Kenney. 'We would be failing in our duty as a responsible local authority not to advise the landowner, The Cavanna Group, that this new play area should meet the same quality standard of the rest throughout the district.'
Parents took up residence in the Culver Green park to protest about the situation. We've got to do something because there are no other parks near here and the roads aren't safe for the children to play on,' said Sadie French, 27, mother of four-year-old Lauren, whose summer fun has been cut short. 'We've heard from one of the contractors who lives in another Cavanna development in Torquay that he's been waiting six years for their play park to open.'