Cherished local amenity improvements agreed
Kilkenny Lane Park in Carterton, which receives 100,000 visitors a year, will undergo improvements and maintenance work later this year, as the Executive at West Oxfordshire District Council approve over £80,000 of Section 106 funding for the works.
Executive Member for Stronger Healthy Communities, Joy Aitman said: “I am delighted to announce that this funding will be made available, not just for repair and maintenance, but to add some new items of play equipment to the park.
“The safety of our residents is of utmost importance and I appreciate that there has been a period where some of the equipment at the park has been out of action. I am grateful for the patience of residents and visitors to the park whilst we made sure safety investigations took place.
“I know it will be received as great news for the community that we are able now to move things forward, get the necessary repairs completed and even create a better experience for those visiting the park.
”It’s vitally important that the park continues to provide a safe haven for children and their families, a place to meet friends, and enables active lifestyles for children.”
In April 2022 an annual Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Safety Inspection Report was undertaken. The inspection follows a strict code of practice and the report takes into consideration compliance with current standards. The inspection identified the possible decay of some of the timbers, and as a consequence further investigation and eventual closure of the climbing frame was necessary.
The remedial work is scheduled for later this year, and play park users can also look forward to new equipment being installed, including:
- Two new ‘digger style’ play items for the sand pit
- Two additional picnic tables for the sand pit area
- A new rope basket swing
- The teen shelter to include a centre 360-degree seat
- Three new rockers
Safety at the play park will continue to be of paramount importance, with regular inspections of all of the play equipment and a RoSPA safety inspection undertaken annually.
We will issue more information about timescales to our social media accounts in the near future.