District Council committing almost £350,000 to improve parks across the district

With the cost-of-living crisis, the play parks in our district are havens for children and their parents and carers. Getting out in the open and heading to a local park is a great way for little ones to have fun in safe and exciting space where imaginations run wild and running around and exercising is a must!
Plans to replace aging equipment for new, imaginative pieces of play equipment and include inclusive play equipment for all ability users where possible to do so, were approved this week.

Ten parks will undergo improvements, thanks to the £350,000, including Vicar Water County Park, Mead Way Play Park in Balderton, Lincoln Road Recreation Ground Play Area in Newark, Thorpe Oaks Play Area in Coddington, Hillcote Drive in Clipstone, Old Tannery Drive in Lowdham, Grove Street Play Area in Newark, Cleveland Square in Newark, Turner Lane in Boughton and Sconce and Devon Park.

Exciting, proposed plans for Sconce and Devon include a new Castle-themed play area park to tie in with the town’s Civil War history. Additional plans for Sconce and Devon Park include the development of a fantastic new outdoor fitness area which would be free for all visitors to use. The development would build upon the park’s existing popularity as a site for fitness and wellbeing activities, such as walking, park runs, or small personal training classes.

Whilst the park itself already boasts a Green Flag status the District Council believes that the play park would become an attraction in its own right, drawing more visitors into Newark and Sherwood which in turn will help to support our local retailers, hospitality providers and other events and experiences in the area.

These exciting plans for the Sconce and Devon Park will be shared with residents to allow the District Council to hear their thoughts about these proposals in order to shape the plans to best improve the local area with the residents at the heart of its decision. A public consultation event will be held at the park during the Great British Spring Clean week, which is taking place between 17 March and 2 April. Further details on the event will be shared on the District Council’s social media channels nearer the time.

Councillor David Lloyd, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “These plans would not only be an investment into our parks and green spaces, but an investment into the health and wellbeing of our community. We’ve listened to your thoughts about the importance of these outdoor spaces, and we are committed to maintaining and improving these sites so they can be enjoyed to the fullest.”

“Being able to enjoy outdoor spaces for free family-friendly fun, fitness and relaxation, especially as we start to move into the warmer months, is something we can all appreciate, and I look forward to hopefully seeing what we could achieve with this investment.”

The developments will also support the District Council’s ambition to be cleaner, safer and greener, with materials for the projects being sourced from recycled goods. Materials such as used textiles, food packaging waste, and used plastic bags for example will used in the improvements. This sustainable sourcing of materials was successfully implemented for the recent development of the community garden on the land adjacent to Newark Library, in which a number of features were built using recycled materials including new bin stores and bug hotels made from fly-tipped wood that had been cleared from illegally dumped around the district.
The District Council is committed to developing an ongoing cycle of investment in their local play parks and it is hoping that the improvements to their play parks could also help to improve similar sites in the district.

Results from the latest resident survey showed residents placing more importance on local parks and green spaces during recent times, and these investments will further the work the District Council have committed to within its Community Plan, including enhancing the district’s natural environment to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents.

To find out more about the District Council’s Community Plan visit: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/councilpriorities/