Twelve Athens playgrounds to close over safety concerns 

Twelve playgrounds in the Municipality of Athens will close for safety reasons as they lack an updated operating permit, following a decision of the city council on Wednesday.

The playgrounds will receive extensive renovation before they reopen to the public, which is expected to be in June for some of them.

"Most of the playgrounds of the Municipality of Athens had been operating without their license having been renewed, with the responsibility and knowledge of the previous municipal administration," Athens Mayor Haris Doukas told the city council on Wednesday.

The reconstruction of nine of those playgrounds will be included in the Public Investment Program in order to hold an open tender for the supply, placement and installation of playground equipment, urban equipment, floors, etc.

"In a very short period of time we plan to implement a digitized...