Please let our toddlers play safely

Published: 06 January 2026

The Town Council needs your help to stop repeated attacks on the Buckhurst Lane toddlers play area at the Environmental Park, between Sevenoaks Leisure Centre and Knole Park.

There are two play areas in the park, one for older children including swings, a climbing frame, slide and a zip wire, and another for toddlers which has rockers, a mini trampoline and a small climbing frame. The toddlers play area is fenced off, to stop dogs and foxes making a mess, and also to protect the equipment from users who are too heavy for it. This is essential to keep it safe for young children.

Over Christmas and New Year, vandals have twice removed the fencing – leaving the play area vulnerable to fouling, and to damage. Over the last few months this has happened half a dozen times. Thanks to the Town Council’s Open Spaces team, repairs were done twice over the holidays within 24 hours – but toddlers were left for part of the time with a play area whose safety could not be guaranteed.

I’m not sure what the people doing this have against our toddlers play area – but it needs to stop. If anyone knows who is doing this, please ask them to leave it alone. If they won’t, please call Sevenoaks Town Council on 01732 459953 to let us know who it is or email council@sevenoakstown.gov.uk.

If you spot damage being done to our play areas, you could also call the police. With all the great work going on by volunteers to make Sevenoaks the best place to live, behaviour like this to spoil things for the youngest children is out of order.

Cllr Tony Clayton
Sevenoaks Town Mayor