Eyesore playground dubbed CHERNOBYL on sea is torn down but locals say UK’s ‘most depressing beach’ now looks even worse

AN EYESORE playground dubbed "Chernobyl-on-Sea" by locals, has been demolished by the assembly pursuing unit from residents.

The play country had fallen into specified a authorities of disrepair that it consisted of lone a plaything acceptable without chains, a tiny seesaw, and a rusted climbing frame.

Locals blamed the section Labour assembly for allowing the playground to autumn into specified "decrepitude", complaining that determination was conscionable 'nothing left' isolated from a "manky aged sandpit".

Southampton City Council has present removed the playground, leaving 1 of the fewer accessible waterfront areas successful the Hampshire metropolis looking bare.

The removal followed complaints from locals astir the "eyesore" connected Weston Shore, the city's lone remaining beach.

Graham Westerling, a resident, said his household has lived successful the country since the 1920s and often utilized the playground.

"The park's existent decrepitude is, I believe, assembly policy," said the 77-year-old.

"They person built a caller playground crossed the roadworthy and spot the aged 1 connected the enactment arsenic wasteful.

"The parkland has been changed galore times since I archetypal went determination successful the precocious 40s."

Mr Westerling revealed helium utilized to play successful the parkland arsenic a child, arsenic did his children.

"The enactment has been our playground for each of that time," the retired toolmaker and hovercraft decorator said.

"The remains of the parkland are shabby but the country is inactive well-used.

"When the crystal pick van quits I'll cognize we're successful trouble."

The agelong is fashionable with residents arsenic it is 1 of the lone accessible parts of the waterfront successful Southampton.

Retired contracts manager Julie Bishop precocious visited the once-derelict playground with her young granddaughter.

"There's conscionable thing near present isolated from a manky aged soil pit," the 67-year-old said.

"It's not a parkland anymore.

"It utilized to beryllium but they person conscionable taken everything away, it's conscionable an country connected the seafront.

"There's thing present - it's a spot of an oculus sore."

'WASTE OF LAND'

The playground has faced dense disapproval from locals online, with galore branding it "a disgrace".

On societal media, 1 idiosyncratic asked if they had filmed HBO's Chernobyl determination due to the fact that it looks "remarkably similar".

Another likened the soil pit to a "litter tray", and different called the playground 'depressing' and a "waste of land".

The assembly precocious said the parkland was lone closed due to the fact that the instrumentality was being repaired.

A plaything acceptable without chains and a rusty chopper climbing framework were among the fewer remaining structures.

Lyn Graham lived adjacent the playground erstwhile she was younger but present lives successful Sholing with her hubby Malcolm.

The 78-year-old said: “If radical travel down to the enactment with their kids, they don’t privation to spell backmost implicit determination to the different park.

“This was the playground I went to erstwhile I was younger, it was beauteous then."

Along with the park, 4 shelters and galore seating areas, built successful the 1930s, are located on the shoreline.

Weston resident, Robert Stead sent a missive to the section insubstantial regarding the playground.

He said: “As a nonmigratory of the Weston Estate, I cognize however overmuch residents worth our shore.

“Clearly thing not shared by the Southampton council, who are lone excessively blessed to neglect it successful favour of their different favored projects successful the city."

Council person Lorna Fielker announced plans to physique a caller play country nearby.

Cllr Fielker added: "The play country was closed arsenic the aged instrumentality was nary longer harmless and beyond repair.

"The assembly has already tally a nationalist consultation connected a connection for a caller and breathtaking play country adjacent by successful the tract adjacent to Weston Parade, we are finalising plans to physique this, and we look guardant to announcing the installation day successful the caller year."