The post you are reporting:
I think the point Howard is trying to make Keith, is, determine whether the site is available first, then talk to people; it's no good getting their hopes up, then dashed as the landowner doesn't want to sell.
Any land being sold for a play area will fetch far less than that sold for residential development, so the landowner would have to be quite philanthropic - and comfortably off, to "lose" so much money.
Keith, you mentioned a piece of land that could have been used for a play area that no one wanted; this was an ideal location, but from what I was told the local Labour people turned the residents off of it and I was told people didn't want to hear the sound of children's laughter when they were sitting in their back gardens.
There is now trouble I hear on those allotments, by kids who climb over their own garden walls with their mates, into the allotment area, mess up some of the plots and also climb over other people's gardens walls causing trouble in there too.
There would of course have been a very secure high fence all around, so this trouble would not have occurred: no matter, it's all over with now.
The allotments are managed by the Town Council and well done to them for the work they do with all their allotments.
Roger