Everyone who cares about their town has opinions about the direction that town should be going in. Penarth Nub News serves as a platform upon which you can voice those opinions.

Today, an anonymous Morristown resident makes an impassioned plea for equality of play area expenditure across Penarth's wards.

Residents in Stanwell Ward are petitioning the Vale of Glamorgan Council to cater for their youngest constituents.

Many thousands of pounds have been spent in all other areas to ensure that parks and outdoor spaces are safe, clean and inclusive.

Even during lockdown finalised plans for a major redevelopment of Cosmeston's play park were announced, with work due to start in a matter of days, yet the play park on the Morristown estate near Glyndwr Hall remains old, dirty, damaged and forgotten.

This sends a worrying message to children who use the park, which is located across the road from a shooting club.

Hundreds of children access this area before, during and after attending the local schools. This is in addition to the resident children and those who access the community hall.

The Vale of Glamorgan council should not be cherry picking areas for improvement, but should invest in all children by providing safe and inclusive outdoor play spaces.

Money should be distributed fairly and proportionately, but Stanwell Ward is always forgotten.

This is where the bulk of our social housing and the most voters are located.

The income gap is vast between the lowest and highest earners in Penarth, so children in Stanwell Ward may already face challenges their peers will not, and through no fault of their own.

It is vital that the Local Authority does not perpetuate these income disparities and instead shows their future workers and leaders that they are important to the Council and their community.

In Plymouth Ward there have been two new play parks. A further was completed in Cornerswell Ward and four outdoor spaces have been updated in St Augustine's Ward, where the Town Council offices are.

This includes two play areas and the council buildings own grounds. These were completed before we'd even heard of COVID 19.

Cosmeston, mentioned above, completes a total of eight projects in Penarth to go with the millions of pounds spent on regenerating whole areas in the rest of the Vale. Money is spent in poorer areas because there is ample evidence that increased public spending improves the health, education and economic futures of their populations, and in turn reduces public spending as a whole.

Why then, have the Local Authority forgotten its least wealthy children in Penarth?

We call upon the Vale of Glamorgan Council to respond to residents with their proposed plans. When and how will they rectify this oversight? When will they will complete this park?

We read about their great work in all the other wards in the papers, so we look forwards to this renovation being completed to an equal standard.

You can sign the petition by visiting this this link or during a visit to the Lifestyle shop on Glyndwr Road.

Sanitising equipment has been provided to prevent the spread of COVID-19.