We have UK’s most depressing beach – kids’ play area looks like CHERNOBYL with rusting frames and manky sand pit
LOCALS have slammed their council over a playground that has become so run down it has been likened to Chernobyl.
The play area has fallen into a such a state of disrepair that it now only consists of a swing set without chains, a small seesaw, and a rusted climbing frame.
Locals have blamed the Labour council for allowing the playground fall into such “decrepitude”, stating that there is just “nothing left” apart from a “manky old sand pit”.
The “eyesore” sits on the waterfront of Southampton’s Weston Shore in Hampshire, and is the single remaining beach in the city.
Local resident Graham Westerling, 77, said his family have lived in the area since the 1920s and have used the playground frequently.
He said: “I believe that it’s current decrepitude is council policy.
“They have built a new playground across the road and see the old one on the shore as wasteful.
“The park has been changed many times since I first went there in the late ’40s.”
Mr Westerling, a retired toolmaker and designer, said he used to play in the park as a child, as did his children.
“The shore has been our playground for all of that time,” he said.
“The remains of the park are shabby but the area is still well used.
“When the ice cream van quits I’ll know we’re in trouble.”
The stretch is popular with residents as it is one of the only accessible parts of the waterfront in Southampton.
Retired contracts manager Julie Bishop, 67, recently visited the playground with her young granddaughter.
“There’s just nothing left here apart from a manky old sand pit,” she said.
“It’s not a park anymore.
“It used to be but they have just taken everything away, it’s just an area on the seafront.
“There’s nothing here – it’s a bit of an eye sore.”
The playground has been criticised heavily by local residents online, who have branded it a “disgrace”.
On social media, one user asked if they had filmed HBO’s Chernobyl there because it looks “remarkably similar”.
Another likened the sand pit to a “litter tray”, and another called the playground “depressing” and a “waste of land”.
The council recently said the park has been closed because the equipment is being repaired.
A swing set without chains and a rusty helicopter climbing frame are one of the few structures remaining.
As well as the park, four shelters and numerous seating areas are located along the shoreline, built in the 1930s.
While locals have slammed the playground, Southampton itself is one of Britain’s most historic and beloved city, boasting a Russell Group university, Premier League football team.
The port city has a fascinating history, having been home to great novelist Jane Austen, the departure point for the RMS Titanic, and one of the major embarkation points for D-Day.
Lyn Graham, 78, used to live near the playground when she was younger.
She now lives in Sholing with her husband Malcolm.
She said: “If people come down to the shore with their kids, they don’t want to go back over there to the other park.
“This was the playground I went to when I was younger, it was lovely then.”
As well as the park, four shelters and numerous seating areas are located along the shoreline, built in the 1930s.
Weston resident Robert Stead sent a letter to the local paper regarding the playground.
He said: “As a resident of the Weston Estate, I know how much residents value our shore.
“Clearly something not shared by the Southampton council, who are only too happy to neglect it in favour of their other pet projects in the city.”
Council leader Lorna Fielker said that a new play area would be built nearby.
Cllr Fielker said: “The play area was closed as the old equipment was no longer safe and beyond repair.
“The council has already run a public consultation on a proposal for a new and exciting play area close by in the field adjacent to Weston Parade, we are finalising plans to build this, and we look forward to announcing the installation date in the new year.”
Southampton Council has been contacted for comment.