A Nottingham park targeted by vandals is getting a makeover from next week, with help from grants and primary school children.
James Seely Park in Calverton will have a total of around £235,000 spent on it by the end of the year.
The play area was set on fire in September 2019 and has been repeatedly vandalised since then.
Chairman of Calverton Parish Council, Councillor Andy Meads, has been part of a project to secure as much funding as possible to help renovate the park.
Last December the Parish Council was granted £100,000 from the FCC Community Action Fund.
They also were granted £20,000 from Nottinghamshire County Council, with the rest of the bill mostly being covered by various developer contributions called Section 106 contributions.
These funds are provided by housing developers to local councils through the planning process to improve facilities and give back to a community’s infrastructure.
Cllr Meads also approached three primary schools, St Wilfrid’s Primary School, Manor Park Infant and Nursery School and Sir John Sherbrooke Junior School to ask children to vote on the style of new play park equipment.
Cllr Meads said: “I got kids to vote on what they wanted, gave them a choice of swings, climbing towers, we gave them coloured dot stickers so they could vote.”
He said the park had felt “neglected” and was overdue regeneration.
He said: “Everybody loves the park, I think people in this village deserve something special – I used to use it when I was a kid and it is about time we had something decent there.”
The equipment plans feature a three-storey tower with slides, a multiplay unit, swings and other features.
An accessible seesaw and swing for children in wheelchairs are also included.
Cllr Meads added: “I think it’s going to be as good as we could ever have a park, it’s definitely going to be the best park around here, plus we are catering for kids in wheelchairs now, which a lot of parks don’t.
“I think it’s the best parish council facility that we know of.”
The Parish Council spent around £75,000 last year on the installation of twin zip wires, meaning the total cost on park renovations in recent years, once all are complete, will pass £300,000.
Renovations will also include new surfacing with a tarmac path, to make the park directly accessible for those in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility.
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