Playground inspections for parish & town councils

Sized for how parishes actually buy

Most of Cornwall's two-hundred-odd parishes own at least one play area, and most manage it on a precept where every line item is scrutinised. So the offer is deliberately simple: a fixed fee per site, quoted in writing before you commit, and a standing quarterly round if you'd rather never have to remember to book. No call-out charges, no travel added by stealth — multi-parish rounds are grouped so neighbouring councils share the visit day and the saving.

What the council gets

• An operational inspection of every item, the surfacing and the enclosure — MUGA and outdoor gym included if you have them
• A report formatted for the meeting pack: findings, photographs, risk ratings, recommended actions, plain English throughout
• Same-day phone call to the clerk for any high-risk finding — never left to be discovered in the papers
• A continuous, independent inspection record — the evidence your insurer and any future claim will ask for first
• Setup and simple recording sheets so your own volunteer or contractor can evidence the weekly routine checks between visits

Independent means independent

We don't sell repairs or maintenance, so the report is never shaped by work we'd like to win. When it recommends replacing a shackle, that's because the shackle needs replacing — and the recommended action is written so any contractor can price it directly.

The annual inspection, honestly handled

The independent annual main inspection requires RPII Annual-grade accreditation — a separate qualification from the grades we hold, and we won't blur that. Instead, we deliver it through our accredited Annual-grade partner: one booking with Cornwall Play Safety covers the quarterly operational round and the annual, the clerk deals with one contact, and the council receives one invoice for the complete three-tier regime.

Frequently asked questions

Is our parish council legally required to inspect its play area?

There is no single statute saying "inspect weekly" — but the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and the Occupiers' Liability Acts impose a duty of care, and BS EN 1176 is the benchmark courts and insurers use to judge whether it was met. In practice your insurer will expect the three-tier regime to be in place and documented.

What does an inspection cost a parish council?

Single-site parish play areas fall in a straightforward fixed-fee range depending on the number of items; a standing quarterly round works out cheaper per visit. Send the site details and you will have a written figure for the precept papers the same day.

Can you present findings to the council?

The report is written so the clerk can drop it straight into the meeting pack — findings, photographs, risk ratings and recommended actions in plain English. If a finding is serious, we phone the clerk the same day rather than leaving it to be discovered in the minutes.

We only have a small play area — is it worth a professional inspection?

Small sites carry the same duty of care as large ones, and the operational inspection for a five-item play area is quick and priced accordingly. It is also the tier where an independent record matters most if anything is ever challenged.