Dismay as Shuttleworth play area closed down - but redevelopment has not been ruled out

Hundreds of families took to social media on Monday (November 25) after The Shuttleworth Trust announced on Facebook that its 'Jubilee' play park would be closing following a maintenance review.

Comments claimed that the decision was a "huge mistake", an "absolute shame", that "a lot of families won't renew their membership", and that it would "impact revenue in the cafe".

Meanwhile, people even asked if the Trust would consider a crowdfunding campaign to save it.

The Trust says that it "appreciates the passionate responses" it has received, explaining that the park had to be closed "immediately" to ensure visitor safety – and that it is still committed to providing quality family activities.

A spokeswoman from The Shuttleworth Trust, said: "The closure is a direct result of a recent RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) inspection which has indicated that over half of the equipment has potentially dangerous defects.

"A subsequent internal review unfortunately agreed that the equipment is now past the age of manageable repair.

"We were forced to make the very difficult decision to close the play area with immediate effect to ensure the safety of our visitors – which must always remain our priority.

"This is not a decision that was taken lightly, and the Trust will be exploring all avenues for any future development of the area, including our internal finances and exploring any potential funding and grant opportunities available to us – all of which will take time to carefully review."

The Trust said that it is not in a position to confirm a timescale for any re-development of the play area, but that it "remains committed" to providing "a positive benefit" to the community.

The park featured different sections including climbing frames, slides, swings, and bouldering walls, and was designed to be inclusive for all ages and abilities.

After it was built, it was opened by the late HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh Prince Philip.

Reflecting on family visits, a mother from Sandy, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed: "We've used it many times over the years and I'm surprised at the short-sighted nature of this decision.

"Duxford Imperial War Museum, the National Trust, and ZSL are all investing in their play areas, because they know families are the future of them being able to survive – young people are the future.

"This will alienate the Shuttleworth Collection and the whole estate."

However, the spokeswoman for The Shuttleworth Trust continued: "Some have rightly pointed out larger scale, nationally recognised organisations like the National Trust and ZSL have invested in play areas that often fall within their pay wall, and the Trust fully recognises the positive impact that a play area can have both on footfall and within the local community.

"The Trust is going through a period of building a sustainable and secure financial future – in turn ensuring that Shuttleworth remains as a prominent benefit to the local and wider community – so a capital investment of this scale needs very careful consideration whilst we continue to transition through this period."

The mum added: "I know it's not brilliant but I can't imagine that it's all suddenly gone into disrepair? Is there an alterior motive – future plans for the site that they can't or haven't yet finalised?

"The park had become free again and you could sit outside and watch the aeroplanes, use the cafe – and all you paid for was your picnic. Then if you wanted, you could pay extra and see the Swiss Garden and house.

"You plan a family day out around what there is for everyone to do, but this has taken that away."

Explaining its commitment to families, The Shuttleworth Trust spokeswoman, said: "Whilst we explore the options for a re-development of the play area, we will continue to invest in various other areas of our operation with the intention of directly benefiting our younger audience.

"Some examples include: the SEND project (SENsing Shuttleworth) which launched last month, the Learning team’s Discovery Zones at all our air shows, a new family event yet to be announced, redevelopment of our admissions entrance with a view to implementing new interactivity opportunities, and a STEM-focused day for schools within our air show season that has yet to be formally announced.

"We hope that our visitors can bear with us whilst we take the appropriate time to fully explore all development opportunities for the play area. We greatly value their feedback and want to reassure the local community that all avenues will be considered. We will share updates as and when we can in the coming months."