£45,000 investment will ensure more young children can enjoy Vale play areas
Work is underway to install exciting new equipment at three play areas in the Vale of White Horse. The £45,000 upgrade will help to ensure that more children can play and have fun outdoors in district council play areas.
Vale of White Horse District Council is providing the accessible apparatus at Marlborough Gardens in Faringdon and at Southern Town Park and Tilsley Park in Abingdon.
In Faringdon, children at Marlborough Gardens will soon be able to enjoy a wonderful new roundabout which is specially designed to ensure it can be used by wheelchair users and those with limited mobility.
A new ‘Tango’ swing at Southern Town Park will provide a fun and accessible experience for all young children. The swing seat allows an adult, or older child, to swing face-to-face with a toddler, enhancing positive interaction between generations while having fun..
The Cableway at Tilsley Park will be upgraded with a new ramp, bright orange steps and a level surface to ensure this exciting experience is more accessible to sight-impaired users.
Subject to the weather conditions, it is hoped that the new equipment, which is being supplied and installed by Sutcliffe Play South West Ltd, will all be in place and available for use during the summer holidays.
Vale of White Horse District Council is committed to providing inclusive play facilities for all children. The new equipment will help to make the three play areas more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Most of the funding for the project is being provided from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the planning charge that is used to help pay for infrastructure and facilities needed as a result of new development.
Councillor Mark Coleman, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Waste at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “I’m really pleased that we are upgrading this play equipment. It’s very important that all children can play and have fun and that no one feels excluded from enjoying our play areas. The new equipment will make these areas more appealing to everyone and I’m sure they will be well-used.”
Councillor Andrew Crawford, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property, said “This investment is a great demonstration of how we can use contributions that we secure from new developments to provide facilities for the whole community. We want our play areas to be as accessible as possible, so we are aiming to carry out similar upgrades elsewhere as soon as the money becomes available.”
