East Wichel play park set for a makeover

East Wichel’s six-years old play area is to be improved by South Swindon Parish Council. Since the parish council took over the play areas in its area from Swindon Borough Council, it has had a rolling programme to upgrade them.

Although at the time it was described as being high quality by the borough council’s officers, the play area was built within a relatively limited budget and has had problems since it opened, partly as a result of it being on low-lying ground that is often saturated in wet weather. The parish council is now going to spend £80,000 on improving East Wichel’s play area, with new equipment and improved drainage.

Additions to the play area include:

• a large steel multi-play unit including three slides, multiple climbing walls, bridges, climbing nets, play panels, swing bars, balance steps and roofs;
• a refurbished sand pit with steel sand digger;
• a cosy cocoon spinner;
• a 2-bay swing with Me2U (facing seats), cradle, yellow flat and inclusive mirage seats (seats in the shape of aircraft cockpit seats, with full body support);
• an inclusive basket swing;
• new surfacing around the orbit;
• the sand pit around the birds’ nest will be topped up;
• spinner educational play panels;
• and an eco bongo tree (drum tubes made from recycled plastic).

The large mound in the centre of the site will be reduced to 1 metre in height to make maintenance easier and to make way for some of the new play equipment.

Parish councillors have said that work on the play area could start this week. As it is a large play area, it is not expected that the whole of the area will be closed while the council’s contractor is working on the upgrade.