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Play areas are important to communities and are vital for children’s physical, mental and emotional health.
Free, outdoor play can boost resilience, confidence and social skills. This is why we’re investing in our play areas over the next five years.
Because of ongoing budget cuts over the last few years, we’re playing catch-up on investment in play areas so we are targeting investment in priority order.
For this financial year, until March 2023, we’re investing £300,000 into these five play areas:
- Clevedon – Cherry Avenue and Esmond Grove
- Nailsea – Scotch Horn/Millennium Park and Pound Lane
- Weston-super-Mare – Plumley Park South.
We ran a consultation for six weeks between August and October on how these play areas could be improved and 190 people gave their views.
This valuable feedback gave us a better understanding of priorities for local families, so our plans can focus on benefiting most local children and young people.
People commented on a range of play equipment to appeal to all ages and abilities, including those children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
At all locations, respondents said they wanted to see a multi climb unit followed by a slide.
Following this feedback, final plans were created within a procurement process, leading to work being awarded to four providers.
Better value for money than predicted was achieved, so work can also take place this financial year to improve two more sites:
- Clevedon – Home Grounds
- Portishead – Merlin Park.
This capital investment of £300,000 is in addition to the £250,000 Improving Play Spaces Fund, where 23 play areas managed by town and parish councils across North Somerset will be updated.