Aim: Help complete Cheltenham's fantastic new play area in Pittville Park - for children of all abilities up to 14 - and a cafe too!
Cheltenham's already popular playground in Pittville Park is being transformed into something fantastic! There will be significantly more equipment to provide all sorts of active and sensory play opportunities for children up to 14. There will be equipment suitable for children of all abilities including those in wheelchairs. The area, which will be dog-free, will be re-landscaped with trees, shrubs and pushchair-friendly pathways, with plenty of open space for picnicking. The play area is zoned by age but is integrated in a single space so that families with children of different ages can enjoy it together.
The 'birds and bunnies' cages, that make the play area even more attractive for family visits, will be renovated as part of the project with more information provided about the inhabitants. There will also be a new cafe, bike racks and more seating, and the loos will get a thorough springclean before the re-opening!
The overall design of the new area respects the local heritage and the parkland setting with the main structures made of wood and painted in muted natural colours. The tallest equipment will be sited in the area next to the tallest trees so that it stands out less and it will not impinge on the views to and from the historic Pump Room and lake.
The robust equipment, of German manufacture, and an award-winning design, is being provided by the UK division of Eibe, the company which won the tendering competition.
The project will cost a total of £540K with the equipment having an expected life of at least 20 years, making the cost per child/day/play unit just pence. Cheltenham Borough Council is providing £400K leaving £140K to find from grants and donations. Friends of Pittville, a local community group (www.friendsofpittville.org) whose aim is make Pittville's heritage green spaces as attractive as possible for all those who use them, are helping to raise the remaining funds.
Work began on 11 January and the play area is now closed. It is hoped to re-open it in June but if there is a funding shortfall not all the fantastic equipment will have been installed by then and it will have to be completed in phases if and when the money becomes available.
This project successfully funded on 22nd February 2016