A HOUSING developer has promised to undertake health and safety checks at playgrounds after a mum highlighted one which had been left to rot.

Wainhomes said it would carry out the checks at a play area on the Swanvale estate in Falmouth after being made aware of damage there.

And the developer is also set to check a play area at Century Close in St Austell which also has some play equipment damaged.

At the Falmouth play area fences have fallen down, safety matting has holes in it and a climbing frame has rusted to a hole with sharp jagged areas exposed.

The St Austell play area has broken swings and the play area has been left with weeds and the play surface with holes which almost make it look like it has been abandoned.

Rowenna Brock, who lives at Swans Reach at Swanvale, had contacted Wainhomes after seeing the damage at the play area where her son likes to play.

But after getting no response she posted photos of the play area on social media and contacted the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) to highlight the issue.

After the LDRS contacted Wainhomes for a comment it responded to Rowenna and also said it would carry out checks.

Rowenna, who has lived on the estate for nine years, said she was appalled by the state of the play area.

“This is our closest park – the next closest is Kimberley Park (in Falmouth) and that is in a much better condition because it is looked after by Falmouth Town Council.

“Wainhomes have a principle of not handing over play areas until they have completed their developments. But this has been here for 10 years and they have done nothing.

“But they are only building (homes) not far from here, why can’t they just send someone over to fix the things here and make them safe? It doesn’t need much, it is a nice play area, but it has just been left to ruin.

“It seems to me that they say they will provide these play areas as part of their planning permission and then just leave them.

“I got no response when I contacted them which is why I decided to put the photos on social media, to shame them into doing something.”

In a statement Wainhomes said: “We are responsible for the maintenance of this playground and are sorry to hear of these concerns. In response, we plan to carry out an immediate health and safety check on the playground to address the issues raised.”