Several play areas across Plymouth are set to get a brand new look.

In the coming months, eight parks will receive a face-lift from Plymouth City Council, in what is its second phase of play improvements.

By spring 2020, a total of 38 play spaces will have been given a spruce up.

Devonport Park, Strand Street, Chard Barton, Patna Place, Bladder Meadow, Knowle Battery, How Street and Cartlon Terrace are the areas which will be upgraded before summer next year.

Councillor Pete Smith, deputy leader of the council said: “Play is so important for the development and learning of our children. I am delighted that we’re able to refurbish these play spaces across the city for everyone to enjoy.

“We have pledged to continue to invest in children’s play facilities, and this announcement is the first step in fulfilling that promise.”

The play improvements plan as a whole aims to fulfil a standard set out in the Joint Local Plan which will provide local outdoor play within 400m of people’s homes.

Throughout the duration of the first phase, local residents have had their say on the type of equipment they want to see in their parks. This will continue throughout the second phase of the project.

The plan for improvements come after Central Park's play park was given a massive upgrade.

The "bigger and better" park, which was closed throughout the summer, has been redesigned based on a birds, bees and butterflies theme.

It was originally hoped that the park would be open in time for the school summer holidays, but this was not possible due to the dry weather making it hard to grow the grass.

The area was "like a dustbowl" in July, making it unsafe for families to enter, but it is now open in time for the party.

The revamp is part of the Central Park improvements plan, and it has been split into three areas.

The first two areas are fenced and will include toddler, sand and water play with features like tree houses, multi-person swings, a roundabout, water pumps and trays and a huge sandpit surrounded by decking.

The third area will include a huge climbing/sliding structure, trampolines, hammocks, a low ropes course and double zip wire.

Students from Montpelier School have also put their own touches on the new play space, having written poetry which has been engraved onto logs by the wooden tipis at the top of the site.

Some of the existing larger equipment, including the space net and existing water play feature, remain and have been upgraded and resurfaced.

In order to complement the natural setting of the park, the theme of the new play area is ‘Birds, Bees and Butterflies.’ Set around trees, it uses materials like timber and includes soft landscaping to encourage children to enjoy nature.

Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet member for the Environment and Streetscene, said: “We promised that we would deliver the improvements to Central Park so it makes me very proud to be able to open the play space today.

“Central Park is the largest recreational park in Plymouth and an important green space so it is fitting that we now have this fabulous, state-of-the-art facility for children to enjoy.

“Opening the play space is just the beginning. There are lots more exciting things to come in Central Park over the next few months.”

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