The playground at Ripon’s Quarry Moor Park is to close following repeated vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Ripon City Council agreed the measure at an extraordinary meeting last night.

An arson attack this month became the latest in a long list of damage and destruction wrought by vandals at the park.

Edward Brandie, who lives close to the site, told councillors:

“I called the fire brigade after seeing youths deliberately setting fire to an area of woodland and fortunately, the firefighters came quickly and put it out, otherwise It could have been disastrous.”

Last night’s meeting was held to enable councillors to agree actions required to address ongoing concerns about vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the playground.

Members of the public at last night’s meeting.

It was attended by members of the public, who heard councillors approve a radical plan involving the closure of the the playground, removal of the hut on site and development of a longer-term programme of improvements for the park.

All playground equipment and broken fencing is to be removed and trees and bushes trimmed back with the aim of creating an enlarged open picnic and recreation area, that can be safely used by families and other people who visit the site for legitimate reasons.

City councillors voted unanimously for the measures after Cllr Julie Ann Martin-Long, chair of the Alderman Spence Quarry Moor Trust Committee, said she and deputy chair Cllr Tony Duncan had been regularly monitoring the park and appalled at what they had seen.

Cllr Martin-Long said:

“In addition to graffiti on the play equipment that is lewd, crude and racist, the equipment has been vandalised and is no longer safe for children to use.

“Fences have been broken down, signs damaged and dens created on the site by youths. We have also had a problem of rats on the site because of discarded rubbish.”

City council leader Andrew Williams said he believed an area of the site was being used as a drop-off point for people handing over ‘substances’. His recommendation that the gate to the site car park be locked at 5pm each day from October onward, to prevent vehicular access, was agreed.

Councillors also agreed to a proposal by Cllr Barbara Brodigan, for Ripon residents to be invited to attend a public meeting later this year to discuss longer-term improvement plans for Quarry Moor Park.

Cllr Martin-Long said:

“We have been working closely with the police and taking their advice on how to tackle the issues we are facing. There’s no quick fix, but this area used to be one of Ripon’s crowing glories and we want to get it back to that once more.”