BAD BOUNCE
Our council is taking away our kids’ trampoline – we had saved for seven months for it, they’re in tears
KIDS have been left in tears after a council revealed they would take away their trampoline - despite them saving for MONTHS to buy the play equipment.
Four families wanted to provide a safe space for their autistic children to play in Bartley Green, Birmingham.
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The parents saved up £600 over seven months to buy the equipment after a girl was run over on Monmouth Road.
The trampoline, including safety netting, was installed on a communal area of Kineton Croft.
But Birmingham City Council claim the trampoline needs to be removed because it can't risk being sued if someone falls off.
"It's left the kids in uproar, they've got wind of it hearing conversations while we were on the phone," one mum Melissa Jamie told .
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"My daughter's been crying her eyes out, I said: 'Don't worry, no-one's taking it.' [This] morning they're coming to get it, so we're all protesting - all the parents - that it's got to stay.
"All the neighbours are agreeing - they're all saying no. We're devastated because the kids have nothing [otherwise]."
Melissa said the council is due to remove the trampoline today even though parents take turns supervising their children.
Of the idea, Melissa recalled: "All the kids play and it's not safe because the cars speed up and down, so me and my neighbours put money towards the trampoline because we've all got autistic children.
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"Now, they've sent us all a letter saying: 'We're coming to remove all items'. I rang and asked what it meant, they said: 'The trampoline's got to go'.
"I asked where the kids were meant to play, it's not safe outside. I told them a little girl had already been run over and hurt.
"There's no problem with it being there, it's safe, it's has a net on. My daughter's autistic, so she needs a safe space to play like the rest of the children.
"Every day it gets used after school, they're out there for hours. No one's been injured."
Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "If any third party such as a community group has play equipment or similar furniture that is intended for public land or existing council-maintained play areas, it needs to be discussed with us prior to installation.
"If the relevant safety checks and measures are not carried out along with agreements around the issue of maintenance, it places the council at risk of liability if any incidents occur.
"This exposes taxpayers across the city to a risk that it is not possible to bear.
"We do have a framework for parks infrastructure and can buy for groups items that meet the correct standards if they work with us in advance."
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