End of the line for popular Thomson Park playground

It was the end of an era as the last section of a much-loved fort playground was demolished at a New Brighton park on Wednesday.

Children from across Christchurch have been using the popular playground at Thomson Park for almost 50 years.

But the largely wooden playground recently failed a city council safety assessment due to concerns over its deterioration and the structural integrity of some of its pieces.

Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood Community Board member Alex Hewison said the playground had to be demolished.

"Contractors were removing one of the platforms, and the entire beam caved in," Hewison said.

"It goes to show that it was a really unsafe playground. So kudos to the council for ensuring that our safety comes first."

However, Hewison was not happy with the council's plan to replace the old playground with new modular kit-set design equipment.

The replacement plan has received a strong backlash from the community.

Residents say the design looks "too plastic" and its size will make it unsuitable for anyone but small children to use.

There has been strong support for the 'Save our Playground' petition calling on the city council to invest in a more suitable like-for-like replacement at Thomson Park.

"The petition aims to ensure that council work with the board for a better option for the playground down here at Thomson Park. The petition has well over 1100 signatures already and it's still picking up."

Hewison was due to present the petition to the community board next Monday.

To sign the petition, visit https://evav1xp0t8d.typeform.com/to/mei4DFAS

- By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air