Work to update Chichester play parks is approved

Work on the sites at Priory Park, Oaklands Park, Sherborne Road, Amphitheatre and Whyke Oval should start after the Easter holiday and be finished in August.

The work – which is expected to cost £650,000 – was given the nod during a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (January 7).

Leader Adrian Moss said: “This is an exciting and ambitious plan to provide major upgrades to our city play areas – and this is an urgent requirement and will bring significant benefits to younger families living in the district.”

A consultation held in the summer found that the five play areas were ‘dated and in need of complete replacement’.

There had been plans to replace a sixth play area in Florence Park. But a report to the cabinet said it was in good condition and it would be ‘wasteful’ to do so at this stage.

Instead, it will be given a spruce up in the spring and fitted with some new inclusive equipment, at a cost of around £45,000.

A budget of £50,000 has been allocated to the Amphitheatre, with £150,000 for each of the other four. Some of the money will come from the council’s general reserve, while the rest will come from its asset replacement programme.

The council received three submissions from reputable suppliers interested in doing the work. The cabinet gave its approval to one but did not name the company.

The work has been in the pipeline since January and, since then, the City Council has expressed an interest in contributing money to the project.

Those discussions will now be concluded and a final public consultation will be held.