Central Park, Park Farm play area officially opened

Local families, residents and school children attended the opening ceremony of Central Park, Park Farm’s new play area on Thursday 9 March.

The Mayor of Ashford, Councillor Jenny Webb, performed the ribbon cutting ceremony alongside Ashford Borough Council members Cllr Matthew Forest, Cllr Jim Wedgbury, Cllr Trish Cornish and some of the Park Farm Playground Project Group members.

Central Park play area is situated in Park Farm, Ashford, and has been officially been opened following a £400,000 investment, part of the councils £1.1m Play Regeneration Programme.

The brand new play area includes an all-inclusive flush roundabout, multi tower multiplay unit, a wide range of swings, including a basket swing, parent/child swing, a multi person rope swing and a sensory play zone.

There is also a new outdoor gym area, featuring a range of equipment for strength, balance, stability and agility training.

New seating, wheelchair friendly picnic tables and bins have been installed to provide a communal leisure space for residents to use.

The footprint of the play area has been expanded to accommodate the new equipment, providing a new path from the main footpath and closing off the two entrances that led into the vehicle area.

Work has also been carried out to improve access and open out sightlines onto the island area, installing new picnic benches and adding a new interpretation board covering the history of the Moat.

Ashford Borough Council worked closely with residents and the Park Farm Playground Community Group; who previously successfully fundraised around £20,000 for new play equipment, which went on a new slide, spinning bowl and spinning pirouette with additional safety surfacing.

Cllr Matthew Forest, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Property and Recreation said “It has brought great pleasure to see the play areas open from the council’s £1.1m Play Regeneration Programme, and working alongside residents to bring our communities together with brand new play area facilities.

“We are also currently installing new individual pieces of equipment in numerous play areas across the borough, to improve the facilities and outdoor recreation, and I look forward to seeing residents enjoying the new play equipment.”