Two Sidmouth playparks set to have £150K refurb

Two Sidmouth children's playparks are set to be upgraded and fully refurbished using £150,000 in new funding.

Children in the area will now be asked to help come up with fresh designs for The Ham and Longpark play areas.

The news comes hot on the heels of the new skatepark construction.

Sidmouth Town Council has now put plans in motion to start the improvements after securing section 106 funding from various developments around the town. Section 106 money comes from housing developers in the area and is to be used to improve the community assets.

The council is now going to be contacting schools and pre-schools asking for the childrens' opinions by Friday, December 11.

Both parks will be designed for children up to the age of 14.

The ideas received back will be fed into the brief to be sent to companies that build play areas, who will produce various designs and those very designs will be shown to the children to vote for their favourites.

After such a difficult year, this is an exciting and hopeful project giving children and parents something to look forward.

By adding in some of its own funding to that made available by EDDC, the town council has £55,000 to spend at Long Park and £100,000 to spend on The Ham which will enable replacement and refurbishment in both parks.

Councillors leading on this project on behalf of the council, Louise Cole and Denise Bickley said: "Childrens' participation in the project is crucial to its success and young people's involvement has already led to delivery of the new skatepark which is being built right now. Young people's views will help to shape the designs to be unique to Sidmouth.

"This opportunity comes at a time when children and parents value outdoor play spaces more than ever in helping children to have fun benefiting both their physical and mental wellbeing."