Residents left unimpressed by 'boring' playground

The refurbishment of Calderstones Park had a budget of £85,000

Residents have "a right to feel short-changed" after the refurbishment of a local playground some described as "boring" and "sparse", a councillor has said.

The playground in Liverpool's Calderstones Park is set to re-open next week after its refurbishment, but a number of people have expressed disappointment with how it looks.

Liberal Democrat opposition councillors including Andrew Makinson have long pushed for the council to use money it had from developers on playgrounds in the area, some of which have not been upgraded for decades.

Makinson said he "absolutely understands" the criticism but urged residents to hold their judgement until the work was completed.

One local resident posted on Facebook: "It's actually disappointing, still looks depressing, not all equipment has been replaced and where is the excitement for any child over the age of three?"

Another said they were "shocked at how sparse it looks compared to previously".

'Safety questions'

Makinson said: "I think people have the right to feel short-changed because the council has been sitting on this money for eight years.

"On the other hand, it's not finished yet - I would ask people to wait until it's all finished and opened up before passing judgement."

He said more equipment was set to be added alongside colourful graphics to the flooring next month.

Liverpool City Council said the design for the playground - which had a budget of £85,000 - had been developed "in collaboration with local residents and ward councillors".

The authority said it would undergo a full safety inspection before reopening to "ensure all equipment meets the highest standards".

Makinson said he still considered the refurbishment of the playground to be "a victory in a campaign that's been run for years".

"The playground hadn't been touched for 25 years and we would regularly get questions about safety of it," he said.

He said the council had also agreed to fund the building of a second phase of the playground next year, with equipment aimed at primary school aged kids.