Three of the district’s children’s play areas are about to be upgraded as part of improvement work totalling £100,000.
- Harrogate’s Knox Valley Country Park
- Bewerley Rec in Pateley Bridge
- The Spinney in Knaresborough
Will all get new swings and slides as well as sensory play equipment.
The improvements are part of Harrogate Borough Council’s continuing plans to improve many of its 60 play parks across the district, bringing them up to date and making them more inclusive for children of all abilities. The three sites have been prioritised in the first phase and will share the money.
At each site:
- the older swings will be replaced and inclusive swing seats will be hung offering more back support to allow children of all abilities to experience swinging together
- the slides, seesaw and spring mobiles will be replaced
- new roundabouts will be level with the ground so that children in wheelchairs or pushchairs can roll straight on to play
- rain makers, chimes and play panels will add to the sensory experience and
- the surfaces beneath the equipment will be refreshed with a new carpeted play surface.
A new footpath at Bewerley Rec will lead to the inclusive roundabout and a new climbing frame with a slide will also be installed.
Knox Valley will also benefit from new benches and bins to improve the facilities for visitors.
The improvement work will ensure that the play areas can continue to operate for the next 20 years.
Work will begin at the end of April 2018 and the play areas will need to be temporarily closed during the construction work, which will last 2-3 weeks at each site.
Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of the council, said:
Our play areas are immensely popular and well used, and some of the equipment is coming to the end of its useful life.
Replacing the swings and slides will ensure that these play areas are bright, modern places to play and the inclusive equipment means that children of all abilities will be able to play together.
