Exciting times for play area (From Stroud News and Journal)

Exciting times for play area

A CHILDREN'S recreation area is to undergo a £35,000 transformation into an exciting wooden adventure playground.

The new-look Daisy Bank Recreation Area in Daisy Bank, Stroud, will include a climbing frame, balancing beam and roundabout, along with swings for both toddlers and older children.

And Stroud town councillors, who are behind the regeneration, are also considering installing a shiny metal slide down the side of the bank.

It is hoped the project will be completed in time for the school summer holidays.

Residents were asked to choose between two blueprints, and voted overwhelmingly in favour of scheme 2, a natural-looking design by play equipment manufacturers Eibe.

Cllr Linda Townley (Ind, Uplands) said she was delighted at families' enthusiasm for the project.

"The community has really come out in force," she said.

"It shows how important play equipment is to children and parents.

"We are now taking those considerations into account.

"There's lots of sand there at the moment. We want to maintain a strong sand element and provide tools for the children to play with."

A group of councillors will meet with representatives from Eibe on Wednesday, to discuss the layout of the scheme.

The regeneration of the Daisy Bank Recreation Area is part of a programme of improvements to playgrounds in Stroud.

A play area at The Leazes was recently revamped, and councillors will begin consultation on a site in Uplands later this year.

*See next week's SNJ for a sneak preview of how the new play area will look.