A new £75,000 playground in Wymondham has received complaints from nearby residents about noise levels. The playground opened last month but residents claim the noise from children playing has left them feeling like "prisoners" in their own homes. The town council is considering removing some of the playground equipment or moving it to a new site to address the noise issues. However, others argue that the playground is well-used and appreciated by families in the town, and that the noise of children playing should not be considered a problem. A decision about the playground's future will be made at the next town council meeting in November.

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Just what are
you playing at?Complaints over noisy children
could see a much-needed play area
in Wymondham torn down – just
five weeks after it was built.
The £75,000 playground on
Kings Head Meadow was installed
last month and is already a well-
loved addition to the town, with
more than 100 parents and chil-
dren visiting during the warmer
evenings. But those living next to
the play area claim noise levels
and privacy issues have left them
feeling like “prisoners” in their
own homes.
The town council has formed a
working group to thrash out what
action could be taken regarding
the site.
Councillor Robert Savage put
forward a proposal to remove all
new play equipment on the
Lauren Cope
lauren.cope@archant.co.uk
Turn to page 4
Complaints about noisy children could lead to closure of new playground
I Children and their
families enjoying the
new Kings Head
Meadow play area at
Wymondham.
Picture: DENISE
BRADLEY

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014
After funeral
buffet’s
Starting at £5.50pp
2mins from St Faith’s
Crematorium
01603-898366
El
m
Farm Country Hou
se
TURNER
MADELINE
October 15th, 1998.
GEORGE
March 30th, 1980.
We love and miss you
more than words can say,
You are in our
thoughts every
single day.
Love always, Brenda,
Harry and Families.
xxx
JOHN. D. BROWN
01603 419397
After funeral
buffet’s
Starting at £5.50pp
2mins from St Faith’s
Crematorium
01603-898366
El
m
Farm Country Hou
se
Deaths
COOPER
ELISABETH MARIA
MAGDALENA
(nee Schoss)
Died peacefully at Overbury
House Care Home on Friday,
October 10th.
Funeral to take place on
Wednesday, October 22nd at
10.15 a.m. at St Faith’s
Crematorium. Flowers to
Peter Taylor, Unthank Road,
Norwich.
Will be forever missed.
From son Brian, daughter-in-
law Valerie, granddaughters
Tracy and Claire, great-
grandson George, also
Eugene and Simon. Rest in
peace x.
Mum, you were loving, caring
and true,
That’s how we will always love
and remember you.
Your loving son Dennis,
daughter-in-law Susan.
A loving nanny to Dale,
Matthew and Amber and
partners Sonya, Julia and Neil
and great-nanny to Jai, Ellie,
Maisie, Ruby, Josh, Bethany
and Millie.
God bless you x x x.
Our Dad and your family are
waiting for your journey
Heaven bound. Our dear little
lady who’s greatly missed,
never again to be kissed. Our
loss is Heaven’s gain.
Beloved mum to Peter and
Denise, Little Nan to Kelly,
Emma and Aaron and
partners Ben and Pete, Little
Tiny Nanny to Ellie-Mae and
George x x.
HARDIMENT
PAULINE
Died on Friday, October 10th
in the Norfolk and Norwich
University Hospital. Beloved
wife of Don, will be sadly
missed by her family.
Funeral service at St Faith’s
Crematorium on Tuesday,
October 28th at 11 a.m.
Flowers may be sent c/o R B
Copping Independent
Funeral Service, 125 The
Street, Poringland, NR14 7RP
by 9 a.m. please.
HARDWICK
LILIAN
From Meadowsweet, passed
away peacefully aged 87, on
October 10th in St Clements
Nursing Home. She leaves
Kelvin and Austin, her sons
and two grandchildren Katie
and James.
Forever in our thoughts. You
were very special
The funeral service will be
performed at St Faith’s on
Wednesday, October 22nd at
4.15 p.m. All welcome. No
flower tributes but donations
appreciated to Air Ambulance
via John Brown Funeral
Services,102 North Walsham
Road, Norwich, Norfolk.
NR6 7QQ. No black clothes
please. Dress code bright
colours.
LISTER
DIANE
A wonderful woman, now
playing cards with the Lord,
God bless you Fred,
Robin
MARSHALL
DONALD
(Don)
On October 12th, 2014, aged
77 years.
Darling husband of Daphne,
dear dad of Michaela and
Sallyann, father-in-law to
David and Gavin, dearest
grandad of Luke, Megan,
Jasmine, Sophie, Eden and
Sam.
No flowers please, by request,
but donations, if desired, for
Prostate Cancer UK, may be
made at the service or sent c/o
Harvey’s Funeral Home, 1
Norwich Road, New
Costessey, NR5 0EA. (01603)
742094.
Deaths
PACKER
THOMAS EDWIN
‘Eddie’
09/01/1937 - 09/10/2014
Passed away suddenly aged
77. Born in Penarth, South
Wales. Much-loved husband
of Gwen and father to
Gwynn, Linda and Susan.
Loving grandad to 12 and
great-grandad to 10.
Sadly missed by all.
Funeral service to held at St.
Faith’s Crematorium on
Thursday, October 23rd at
4.15 p.m Flowers or donations
to R.N.L.I. may be sent c/o
Broadland Funeral Services,
Wroxham.
Please note Funeral service is
October 23rd not as
previously stated.
In Memoriam
JARVIS
JACKY
Sadly taken October 15th,
2005.
Always in our thoughts,
Never ever forgotten.
Loving husband Roy, son Paul
and Tracy, Lewis and Melissa
and Harry and Ellie
MUNDEY
ALICE MABEL
(Queenie)
Passed away October 15th,
2005. The years pass by but
you are still so very much in
our hearts.
Love Malcolm, Jean, Shaun
and Leon
God bless.
NEWMAN
My dear friend ALBERT
One year ago you passed
away,
I miss you more than words
can say.
Sandra
TURNER
MADELINE
October 15th, 1998.
GEORGE
March 30th, 1980.
We love and miss you
more than words can say,
You are in our
thoughts every
single day.
Love always, Brenda,
Harry and Families.
xxx
Acknowledgments
WHITTLE
JEAN
To all those who supported
John Whittle and his family
and donated to ‘Help for
Heroes’, Jean raised £461.00
which is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks to all. This will
be the only acknowledgment.
Funeral
Directors
JOHN. D. BROWN
01603 419397
Playground is popular with families
I Sharon Colyer, a childminder in
Wymondham, said: “This is the first
and only decent park in Wymond-
ham so it will get the whole of the
town using it.” Mrs Colyer, who
lives on Harts Farm, said: “People
do empathise with those living
there, but the general consensus I
think is that people really want the
park. Has it been noisier? Absolute-
ly, inevitably. But it will die down.”
I Louisa Jones, 33, a mother-of-
three, said: “My boys have loved
going down there. I can imagine
that the change is frustrating for
people living there but it has added
so much. It has been busy but surely
the sound of children playing is
nicer than other sounds?”
I Sarah Matthews, 37, who lives in
Wymondham, said: “I can tell you
why it would be noisy, because it is
the only decent play area here. To
be honest, parts of the area aren’t
ideal anyway, but because Wy-
mondham hasn’t had a focal play
point for such a long time everyone
is going there. We do need one and
we are very grateful.”
I Alexander Bowles, 41, of Norwich
Road, said: “We have a normal ter-
raced house with a normal garden
– the meadow has been absolutely
fantastic for us. We have used it
after school when it’s been warm,
we have met other families and new
ones.”
I Elizabeth Brais, 41, added: “In
terms of community cohesion it is
lovely – I was able to meet a mum
from another school and now she
is helping me do my post graduate
certificate in education. Also some
of the parents went and had fish and
chips on a Friday night and let the
kids keep playing. It’s really nice.”
I Peter Mwaura is from Diss but
regularly visits Wymondham. He
said: “It is a lovely place to come
and play. It would cost the council
so much money to move it out, so
they could limit it and shut it at 7pm
or 8pm.”
from page one
location, leaving only refurbished
items suitable for children younger
than seven, to move the equipment to
a new site and to meet the cost from
existing funds.
Mr Savage said that although he
had not been contacted by residents
directly, he was aware of the noise
complaints.
“The principal aim is to lower the
noise issue. I have been down there
myself and it is quite high. One
possible solution is to remove every-
thing but we haven’t made any deci-
sions and all options will be open. We
will consider removing one or two
items of equipment.”
Dianne Fernee, deputy mayor, said:
“I’m really angry and I think it is a
shame after all the work that has
gone in to planning this. To consider
removing what is a much-needed play
area in the town is ridiculous. It has
been discussed for months. It has
been so successful – we did not real-
ise how many people would use it.
“The noise of children playing
isn’t something that I would have
thought people would complain
about, particularly as it will only be
for a few hours in the evening during
warmer months.”
But those living on Orchard Way,
which borders Kings Head Meadow,
said that the noise often continued
late into the night.
One resident, who wished to
remain anonymous, said: “It’s been a
nightmare. We’re not against a play
area or against children, but it’s been
so noisy all the time. You can’t hear
yourself think – our dog won’t go
outside anymore.
“When it was a play area before it
was for much younger children,
now there are often teenagers using
it and the language they use is
abusive.”
She claimed that those using the
area were able to see into her home
and that damage had been caused to
her fence.
“When the older children stand on
the equipment they can see right
through the windows. We don’t know
what they might be looking at, or
why,” she added.
The play area, which the council
approved in May this year, includes
two sets of swings, a slide, a rounda-
bout and a climbing frame.
It is part of a scheme which will
also see a £100,000 area built in Kett’s
Park, on Harts Farm Road. It is esti-
mated construction will begin around
April 2015.
The working group was formed at a
town council meeting on Tuesday,
October 7. The next town council
meeting will be on November 4 at
Fairland Hall, on Fairland Street.
What do you think of the play
area? Let us know your views by
emailing reporter Lauren Cope on
lauren.cope@archant.co.uk
New play area is proving
too noisy for residents
I Youngsters
enjoy playing
on the play
area, but
residents have
complained
about the
noise.
Pictures: DENISE
BRADLEY