Adventure playgrounds across the borough will be run by independent groups and charities but not fall into private hands, the council has said.

Lambeth Council currently directly runs seven playgrounds, but has decided to set up a community play trust from September to get them managed by independent community groups and charities, alongside the other eight already independent playgrounds in the borough.

Public sector union Unison accused the council of making all staff redundant and subsequently asking them to volunteer to run the playgrounds at a children and young people's services scrutiny sub-committee.

The council denied the claims, saying 23 out of 26 members of staff accepted voluntary redundancy after refusing a reduction in hours during term and full time work during half-term to run the playgrounds under the trust.

Councillor Pete Robbins, cabinet member for children and young people, denied that any staff were asked to do voluntary unpaid work.

He said: “The Government has cut Lambeth's funding by a third, and we have been forced to cut services. Lambeth council supports fifteen adventure playgrounds - eight are run independently by community groups and local charities, and seven are directly run by the council.

"The council's playgrounds cost more than three times as much to run as the independent playgrounds and we strongly believe there are better ways of running adventure playgrounds.

"We are proposing to set up a community play trust by April 2012 that will enable all of our playgrounds to remain open, and give more power to the communities that use them. In the interim, adventure playgrounds will be open less than before during term time, but with a full service provided throughout school holidays when the playgrounds are busiest.

“Even after the cuts, Lambeth will be spending more on adventure play than any other London borough, and there is absolutely no question of handing over adventure playgrounds to private hands."