Youngsters’ delight as playground reopens
A £150,000 play area renovation in Higher Walton has been unveiled.
The ribbon was cut at King George V playing fields, in the village centre, during an official opening ceremony on Friday, before tots from nearby Carr Manor Nursery ran the rule over the new equipment.
Specialist playground designers and manufacturers, Sutcliffe Play undertook the upgrade of South Ribble Borough Council’s new playground, which was declared open by the Mayor of South Ribble, Coun. Barrie Yates, who lives in the village.
The site features state-of-the-art facilities for toddlers and juniors, which is fenced and gated to enhance safety and security. There is a purpose-built activity area with specialist equipment for older children and teenagers. It follows the installation of a ball court, which the council opened in 2005.
The investment at Higher Walton is part of more than £500,000 worth of improvements to play facilities in the borough this year. New play areas at Kingsfold in Penwortham and in the centre of Much Hoole will be opened in the coming weeks.
It forms part of an ambitious 12-year plan to rejuvenate South Ribble’s play facilities. The council has already developed new playgrounds in Coupe Green, Tardy Gate, New Longton, Longton, Bamber Bridge, Moss Side and Withy Grove, in addition to the new ball courts in Leyland and at Higher Walton.
Coun. David Suthers, cabinet member with responsibility for leisure and culture, said: “There are thousands of children across the borough already enjoying the improvements made to play facilities, and I am delighted to see our latest innovative playground open in Higher Walton.”
“This is the result of careful consultation with local people during the planning stages, as with all our playground projects, which have been fine-tuned to the needs of our communities. I look forward to Higher Walton achieving the success we have seen at other sites in South Ribble.”
The Mayor of South Ribble, Coun. Barrie Yates, said: “This is a wonderful facility, not only for the people of Higher Walton, but for people all over the borough.
"As we’ve seen with the playgrounds already opened under this programme, a lot of people from outside the area make special efforts to travel to use facilities of such a high standard. It also fits in with our plan of trying to provide a different experience for people at each of our playgrounds.”
Andrew Lane, Operations Director at Sutcliffe Play, said: “It has been a pleasure working with South Ribble Borough Council on the new state-of-the-art playground at Higher Walton. We are delighted with the results and we are sure children in the area will love it too.
“We’ve installed a range of equipment to suit children from toddlers to teens, including a selection of Sutcliffe Play’s inclusive range that will allow children of all abilities to play side-by-side.”
Learn more about Sutcliffe Play visit www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk