NEARLY four in ten disabled children in Wales “never or hardly ever” play outside due to a “heartbreaking” lack of accessible parks, politicians have warned.

Rhys ab Owen, an independent, described the situation as “disgraceful” as he cited a Play Wales report showing 37% of disabled children are effectively shut out of playgrounds.

Leading a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday December 17, he read the testimony of a ten-year-old boy from Blaenau Gwent who said: “Nowhere disabled friendly – parks haven’t got disabled friendly equipment, so I can’t play.”

Mr ab Owen warned: “There shouldn’t be any discrimination… disabled children do face much greater problems in terms of park maintenance, and with accessibility and inclusion.”

He shared the experience of a 13-year-old girl from Newport who told researchers: “There’s nowhere I can play or hang out safely by myself as I use a frame to help me walk.”

The former barrister warned budget cuts were leading to a managed decline in standards, quoting a 13-year-old from Caerphilly who said: “Due to anti-social behaviour our equipment gets broken, burnt and vandalised and is then not replaced.”

The Conservatives’ Natasha Asghar was stunned by the scale of the crisis and revealed that only 11% of playgrounds in Wales are rated “green”, meaning they are fully accessible. By contrast, almost half are rated “red” for poor accessibility.

Listing the barriers families face, Ms Asghar highlighted that 30% of sites lack accessible paths and nearly one in five have gates too narrow for wheelchairs. “Those are just two of the barriers preventing disabled children from accessing play,” she said.

Jane Dodds, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, argued the shocking statistics should be a wake-up call for Senedd politicians.

“To hear that 37% of disabled children in Wales say they never or hardly ever play outside should be a figure to stop us all in our tracks,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mike Hedges pointed out that Wales became the first country in the world to put a duty on councils to secure “sufficient play opportunities” for children in 2010.

And Julie Morgan, a fellow Labour backbencher, celebrated Cardiff becoming the UK’s first Unicef-accredited child-friendly city in 2023.

Dawn Bowden, the minister for children, pointed to £5m to improve playgrounds this year but she too was “disappointed” by play satisfaction figures falling from 84% to 71% since 2019.

She said the Welsh Government has provided a “toolkit” to Wales’ 22 councils, “ensuring a holistic outcome-focused approach” to inclusive and accessible play.

The cross-party motion, which called for play to be protected from cuts – as well as improved access for disabled children – was agreed unanimously but does not bind ministers.

SIGNIFICANT issues with a part of Pembroke’s tidal barrage are not expected to be fully fixed before late January, councillors heard.

Pembroke councillors Aaron Carey and Jonathan Grimes submitted an urgent question heard at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, which said: “In light of the repeated flooding events across the county – including the recent overflow at Castle Pond and the acknowledgement by your own Coastal, Rivers & Drainage Team that the barrage tipping gate remains inoperable until mid-January can you explain what assessment has been made of the adequacy of our tidal outfall infrastructure in the face of current and projected future storm surges and sea-level rise?

“If no such assessment has yet been undertaken, will you commit now to commissioning an immediate structural and risk-capacity audit, with a report to full council within three months, and with proposals for funding any remedial works required — to avoid recurring damage and disruption to residents, highways, and public amenities?”

Responding to the urgent question, Cabinet Member for Residents Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said a significant assessment of the Pembroke Tidal Barrage had already been undertaken over the past two years, with regular inspections.

He said “a comprehensive package of works” began in September which were due to be completed before Christmas but said there had been “significant issues” with the tipping gate hydraulic ram, with a significant overhaul now taking place, with reinstatement expected by late January.

He told members additional mitigation measures were now in place and, once works are completed, enhanced works will provide improved resilience and “long-term reliability,” with further reports due to come to Cabinet.

Cllr Carey and Cllr Grimes had also submitted a notice of motion saying: “That this council notes with concern the repeated and increasingly severe flooding experienced in our coastal, estuarial and river-fringe communities over recent weeks — in particular the flooding events affecting the Commons/Castle Pond area.

“That the council further notes that, according to correspondence from the Coastal, Rivers & Drainage Team Manager, the tipping gate at the barrage remains out of operation until mid-January due to mechanical issues; meanwhile high tide, heavy rain, wind-driven tidal surges and overspill at the sluice have combined to overwhelm the drainage/outfall infrastructure.

“That we recognise the current maintenance schedule (delayed ‘til after the summer season) and the justification given — but further that such planning failed to foresee the likelihood of severe winter storm and surge events, which climate change makes more frequent and more intense.

“That this council therefore calls on the Cabinet to commission an urgent review of:

• The adequacy of the current drainage/outfall and tidal-sluice infrastructure (barrage tipping gate, sluice/sluice-valve, flap valve, outfall capacity) for current and projected climate/tide conditions.
• The maintenance scheduling policy for coastal and estuarial flood-risk assets, with a view to ensuring critical maintenance is completed before winter high-tide / storm-surge season, rather than — as at present — being delayed until after summer for ‘recreational / biodiversity’ reasons.

“That, pending the outcome of the review, the council should allocate appropriate emergency capital funding to remediate the barrages / sluices / outfalls at risk of failure or blockage — to safeguard residents, properties, highways and public amenities from further flooding.

“That, further, this council resolves to publish a public flood-resilience plan for the county, identifying all coastal and river-fringe ‘hotspots,’ maintenance schedules, responsible teams, and a transparent timeline for upgrades or remedial works — so residents have clarity and confidence in flood prevention measures.”

The notice of motion itself will be considered by the council’s Cabinet at a later date.

Lanterns and balloons released in emotional acts of remembrance

FAMILY, friends and members of the local community came together to remember Corrina Baker at a series of moving events held across west Wales this week.

Corrina’s funeral took place on Monday (Dec 15), a month after her death, with a public service held at St Mary’s Church. Mourners lined the route as her coffin was carried on its final journey in an elegant horse-drawn carriage, before a private cremation later took place at Parc Gwyn crematorium in Narberth.

Later that evening, shortly after 6:00pm, friends and relatives gathered at the Quayside in Cardigan for the first of two acts of remembrance to celebrate her life. Lanterns were lit and released into the night sky above the town as some of Corrina’s favourite songs were played.

On Tuesday afternoon (Dec 16), a second tribute was held near the location where Corrina was found. Twenty-one pink balloons — one for each year of her life — were released into a clear blue sky, each carrying personal messages in her memory.

Floral tributes continue to be laid at the Netpool, while a GoFundMe appeal set up in Corrina’s memory has raised more than £2,300. She has been described by those who knew her as “funny and bright”.

Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed that their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms Baker’s death is ongoing. A 29-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder has been released on bail while inquiries continue.

(Photos: Stuart Ladd/Herald)