The newly installed play equipment at a Durham County Council (DCC) play area in the Craddock Street area is now ready to be used by primary school aged children.
The refurbishment of the play area, which is known locally as ‘The Water Boards’ was a project put forward to DCC’s Town and Villages programme by Councillor Pete Molloy, who represents the Spennymoor Division.
The project came about after Cllr Molloy had visited the play area in September 2021, and could see the play equipment was well past its best and needed modernising and whilst he was there, he spoke with a father who was with his 4 year old son and his 13 year old niece, about which type of children used the play area and the likelihood of more parents bringing their children to the park if it was refurbished with play equipment aimed at younger children. The father thought it would be good to have the play area refurbished to be aimed at younger children, so they had somewhere locally to play.
A public consultation took place with local residents, who were also given the opportunity to choose which design they thought was suited for the age group of children that would use the play equipment, including the replacement metal football goals.
The total value of the play area equipment project came in on budget at £48,500.00, which the funding was sourced from section 106 funding, Members Neighbourhood Budgets from Cllrs Luke Holmes, Liz Maddison and Pete Molloy, Spennymoor Area Action Partnership and D.C.C.’s Outdoor Facilities.
As part of the wider play area, shrubs have been planted in front of the bungalows to try any prevent footballs hitting them and disturbing the residents and there is still some work to be done by DCC contractors to try and clean and kill the moss on the hard surface at the base of basketball hoop, so the thermographic markings for the bike track can be applied.
The reinstatement of the grass towards the bottom of the play area has been arranged for the spring, due to the current low temperatures making it not possible for the grass seeds to take.
Speaking about getting the project delivered, Cllr Pete Molloy said, “I was keen to see this project delivered for the younger children, so when I was approached by the Community Development Project Officer to be asked of the possibility to provide extra funding on top of what I had already committed from my Neighbourhood Budget to make up the small shortfall the project’s budget, I was happy to provide it.
“I would like to thank members of the Area Action Partnership’s Appraisal Panel, D.C.C. Officers and Councillors Liz Maddison and Luke Holmes for their contributions in helping to deliver the new play equipment for the community.”
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
