ONLY in Torbay would a proposal for a world-class children's play facility on one of our sea front greens prove so controversial. As I have written before, anybody would think we were proposing to build a nuclear fuel processing plant.

Hardly a week has gone by since I became mayor without someone saying to me 'why can't we have a play facility like the ones in Teignmouth and Decoy?'

Now we have the opportunity to support the Paignton Community Partnership project and folks are writing to the paper and emailing me at the Town Hall 'how very dare you!'

These are the facts as I see them:

First, Paignton is a town in decline and most of the good news in recent years such as South Devon College and the improvements to the zoo have been at the back of the town.

The seafront area, despite the best efforts of the council with new lights, loos and attractive flower displays, is beginning to look tired and is in desperate need of a boost. You would think any project which will attract more families to spend time and money in the place would be welcome indeed.

Secondly, Paignton with its superb beaches, zoo, steam railway and Quay West should be paradise for children. Yet in places it is not very child friendly and play facilities are quite limited. The My Place project at Parkfield for older children will be brilliant and this new geo play park on the seafront will complement it. You really cannot blame youngsters for getting into mischief if you do not give them other opportunities.

Thirdly, the proposals have overwhelming support. In the most recent consultation, 88.4 per cent supported this project and 73.7 per cent supported the location of the Middle Green. (1,749 people took part).

Of course, the oldest (political) trick in the book is to say 'we want the play park, we just don't want it there'. But I know wherever you suggest it goes, some folk will be upset. There is no consensus as to where it should go among the 'anti brigade'.

If it goes to Victoria Park it will weaken the bid for lottery funds as it will be seen as an upgrade of an existing facility rather than a new project. There are legal and technical reasons why it cannot go on Torbay Park. Anywhere else on Paignton Green will result in the same objections, while reducing the economic benefit of families spending in the shops and cafes in Torbay Road.

The greatest objection comes from the organisers of the regatta who seem to need the entire green for a few days each summer for their exclusive use.

If this project goes ahead, more than half the Middle Green, the entire North Green, the South Green, Torbay Park and Preston Green will all stay 'as is'. Surely there is room for compromise? After all, we are so lucky to have a town where there are so many public green spaces.

Only in Torbay would somebody take the trouble to write a letter to the local paper complaining, in mid-December, that the council staff were out in icy conditions cutting the grass. (Perhaps I should refrain from adding, only in Torbay do we have a local paper which thinks its worth printing this stuff).

Of course, we shall hold a review in the Town Hall after the exceptional cold weather and consider what lessons we have learned and what, if anything, we can do better next time?

However, I would like to express my gratitude to all those council staff and everyone else who continued working as normal, ensuring life went on and services could be provided to the most vulnerable.

The top priority was to keep the main roads open and this involved gritting in atrocious conditions as much as three times in 24 hours. With finite stocks of grit and salt it was not possible to treat secondary roads and pavements.

Torbay's achievement in treating 36 per cent of the entire network was greater than most councils. However, I accept that a small number of roads might reasonably have been added to the list for treatment and the absence of grit bins on new estates, including The Willows, has been noted.

But my memory of big freezes many years ago is that the powers that be kept the main roads clear of snow and ice and we simply put our boots on and trudged to the bus for school or work.

Neighbours looked out for the old and disabled and offered to go to the shops for them. We got out our shovels to clear our lanes and cul de sacs. I cannot remember anybody phoning the Town Hall believing it was the council's job to do everything.

Of course the bad weather has come as something of a surprise. It seems no sooner had the conference of world leaders at Copenhagen agreed we were all doomed to fry, than the big freeze began.

It is all terribly confusing. In the past decade I seem to remember only two really hot summers (2003 and 2006) although plenty of warm spring and autumn weather.

Since I have been mayor we have endured three (out of five) cold winters including the current Arctic freeze.

Of course, it might not be down to climate change but rather like the seaweed and empty shops, simply all my fault.

Those who are not fully paid-up members of the Nick Bye International Fan Club would have been amused to see me take a tumble on my way home (in the wee small hours) after the Members Only Christmas Party at one of my favourite nightclubs.

I didn't feel a thing. Although when a little bruising became apparent I excused myself washing-up duties at the Bye's family Christmas, just to be on the safe side.

In fairness it might not have been just the icy pavements which caused me to take a tumble.

Only in Torbay would letters continue to appear in the local paper protesting about the seemingly sensible (to me) decision to allow a developer to take over the unlovely toilet block on Babbacombe Downs, provide a top-notch fish restaurant in its place as well as maintaining a public viewing platform to enjoy the views.

There will also be an all-year state-of-the-art, if you can imagine such a thing, public loo. This will save the council money over the years and represent an improvement over the present arrangements whereby the loo is only open for part of the year.

Nearly everything which can be said or written has been said or written on this subject. However, at least a couple of letters have suggested the current viewing platform is much appreciated by elderly and disabled folk.

This surprised me and the last time I took my (unpaid) special political advisor for a stroll along the downs even she declined to use the very steep steps to climb on to the platform.

Any new platform would have to comply with current building/access regulations and will be much more user friendly.

This project is now in the hands of the planners and it would be inappropriate for me to become involved in the debate or the decision making over the planning issues.

If the award-winning local architect, Stan Bolt, comes up with something which complements this wonderful site then I hope it finds favour.

If not, so be it.