Work is underway in Alderley Edge park where a series of improvements are being made.
A digger arrived this morning which is currently laying the foundations for two new pieces of play equipment aimed at children up to the age of 12. One of which, I understand, it is particularly suitable for disabled children. (Images of the new play equipment can be viewed in the slideshow above).
In addition some drainage and two new goal posts will be installed on the grassed area so more use can be made of it. The soil which is removed will be used to landscape around the tennis courts, covering up the damaged concrete surround, whilst the holes in the grassed area will be filled with top soil and re-seeded.
Last week the handrail on the stairs leading off London Road was jet washed by the Council then Kriss Coombes, from Friends of the Park, wood-stained the handrail herself. The overgrown path between the bowlers' pavillion and the exit to the allotments is also being cut back and three new rubbish bins are expected.
Parish Councillor Duncan Herald has been pushing for these improvements for some time.
He told me "I consulted dog walkers, parents, officers at Cheshire East, my colleagues on the parish council, people who use the adjacent allotments, neighbours and people I spoke with in the village. Actually very few people had concrete ideas about what changes they wanted, there was just a general feeling that the park had been rather ignored for too long.
"There was also a general feeling that there was a lack of 'stuff' for the post-toddler to teen age group and the common requirement was for public toilets, but we don't have the money and there are toilets in the bowlers' pavilion - although no one can work out how to make these available to the general public without inevitable vandalism."
He added "The parish council do not own the park, have any legal power over it or access to park finance so I have just kept nagging away. It's amazing what you can get if you keep on nagging eh?"
Councillor Herald is also hoping that the existing children's play equipment will be re-painted and some trees which are considered dangerous will be removed.
Comments
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It was July 1993 when the current enclosed play park was opened. (nearly 18 yrs ago), an initiative by a group of mums. And before that in mid 80's improvements were made by a different group of residents.
So congratulations I know there will have been a lot of negotiations!!!
The goal posts have also been painted and the holes in the footy area are filled in.
There will also be approx. 300+ yards of land drains going into the wet ground where the footy goals are... it will be connected into an existing drain any day now.