• Hillstown is the only local community with no play facilities for young children.
• The Parish Council is offering to build a playground for 4 – 11 year-olds on the Recreation Ground and pay all maintenance for a period of 25 years.
• The cost will be £85,000 to be met from grants, reserves and annual council income.
• Local families would have free use of the playground, 365 days a year.
• Our children would finally have a safe place to play outside of their own homes.
• The Hillstown Miners Welfare Trustees want an annual rent of £3,500 p.a. for the small area it would be built on.
• The rent would be higher than the cost of installing and maintaining the playground!! (£87,500 over 25 years.)
• £3,500 a commercial rent that a profit-making business would be asked to pay. Our playground would be non-profit and cost the Trustees nothing. The land is held in trust for local people of Hillstown who support for the playground.
• The Welfare Trust was set up to provide community recreational facilities. Why charge our children to play on community land?!

• Councillors have asked several times to meet with the Trustees to discuss issues face to face but have never had a reply.
• We are consulting residents, asking if they support a playground in Hillstown and if they believe the Trustees should charge the community for the land required.

Remembrance 2024, St Leonards

Northern lights over Hillstown Allotments