Brighton and Hove Council starting £3m playground upgrades

Brighton and Hove City Council are putting £3 million worth of investment into the city's playgrounds.

The refurbishment is part of the council's plans to upgrade 45 play areas over the next three years, with 25 sites being finished by the end of the financial year next March.

The children's play area in Blakers Park in Cleveland Road, Brighton, is set to have a £100,000 upgrade, with work starting on Monday, July 12.

The redevelopment of the park will see 15 new pieces of equipment added to the park. The equipment is mostly wheelchair friendly, and there will also be separate areas for younger and older children.

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The work on Blakers Park is expected to take three weeks and will be finished just after schools break up for the summer holidays.

Due to the tendering process, the workloads of companies that are awarded the contracts and the availability of new play equipment, some of the playgrounds may need to be closed during various school holidays.

Councillor Amy Heley, chairwoman of the council's environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: "The £3 million we are investing in 45 of our playgrounds will make a huge difference to the enjoyment children and families will get from these play areas.

"Not only will the equipment be newer and better, it will also be safer and far more accessible for all children.

"We have already finished Hove Park play area, and it's now all systems go for Blakers and the other parks."

Hove Park

These are the planned upgrades in August:

• Victoria Road Play Park, Portslade. Cost £45,000
• Greenleas Park, Hangleton, £50,000
• Dyke Road Park, Hove, £50,000
• Saunders Park, Brighton, £50,000
• East Brighton Park, £50,000
• Preston Park £100,000, starting this September.

The council also launched the tendering process for the following playgrounds that are also part of this financial year's package, with dates to be agreed:

• Carden Park, Patcham
• Easthill Park, Portslade
• Haig Avenue, Coldean
• Hangleton Park, Hangleton
• Hodshrove Road, Moulsecoomb
• Mackie Park, Patcham
• Queens Park, Brighton
• St Ann's Well Gardens, Hove
• St Nicholas, Brighton
• Tarner Park, Brighton
• Vale Park, Portslade
• Wish Park, Hove
• Warrior Close, Portslade.

Cllr Heley added: "Upgrading 25 playgrounds before next April is a big task for our hardworking play team, but it will also be very exciting to see each park develop.

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"Once these sites are completed, we will begin on the other 20 to ensure children throughout the city have the playgrounds they and their families deserve."