Work begins on improvements to Rhyddings Park play area
Work begins on improvements to Rhyddings Park play area
Last week, work began on the refurbishment of the play area at Rhyddings Park in Oswaldtwistle.
Hyndburn Borough Council, in collaboration with Friends of Rhyddings Park will invest £120,000 on the project, which will be carried out over two phases.
Phase 1, which commenced last week, will see the removal and replacement of all equipment in the main play area and will take approximately 6 weeks to complete.
This exciting new facility is the result of extensive community consultation and aims to significantly improve this play space for children in the local area and visitors to the park. This collaborative effort ensured the final design will deliver an exciting range of play equipment.
The new play area boasts six pieces of play equipment, catering to children of various ages and abilities. Key features include a supernova to test your strength and balance; extra swings to accommodate children with different abilities; a climbing frame and slide designed for kids with a sense of adventure; a wheelchair accessible roundabout and other springy and sensory options for all.
Image: Councillor Kimberley Whitehead at Rhyddings Park, were the play area is currently being upgraded
The project was made possible through generous funding from the Lancashire Environmental Fund, which awarded £30,000 to the Friends of Rhyddings Park. The Council invested a further £90,000 to ensure the community’s aspirations for a new, modern play area could be realised.
Councillor Kimberley Whitehead, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage, Parks & Open Spaces said,
“The Council has committed to investing in play areas across the borough. Earlier this year, we completed work on the refurbishment of the play area at Masefield Close and in this financial year we have allocated funds for improvements here at Rhyddings Park.
I’m delighted to see that this work has now begun and look forward to the new play area being available for children to use before the summer.”
Image: Ann Warrington, Chairperson of the Friends of Rhyddings Park
Ann Warrington, Chairperson of the Friends of Rhyddings Park said:
We are delighted to have been able to support the Council’s efforts for improvements to the Rhyddings Park play area. We are a small charity made up of volunteers who do all we can to maintain and improve the park we all love alongside running the Coach House & Kitchen Garden with its Community Events Programme.
I’d like to thank those at the Lancashire Environmental Fund for supporting us in this project.”
Image: Rhyddings Park coach house
Phase 2 of the projects will see improvements to play equipment in the woodland area of the park and will begin later this year. Work will include a new safety surface, platform for the slide and installation of a new bouldering wall.