Play areas to be upgraded with accessible equipment

Work on Salthouse Fields Park in Clevedon will start in September

A total of £255,000 will be invested in refreshing four play areas with accessible equipment for young people with Special and Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Salthouse Fields in Clevedon, The Vale in Portishead, Trendlewood Community Park in Nailsea and The Park in Weston-super-Mare, have been chosen for the upgrades.

The scheme has been funded by North Somerset Council’s five-year capital investment programme to improve play areas, launched in 2022.

Councillor Mike Solomon said the local authority knows how "valuable" play areas are to communities.

"We’ve consulted with residents to find out what improvements would have the biggest benefits for our families and young people," he said.

“This year we’re investing £255,000 into play areas in each of our major towns.

"We’ve prioritised choosing accessible equipment which should be fun for all age ranges and abilities, including children and young people with SEND."

The following equipment will be installed or replaced:

• The Vale, Portishead – Four bay swings, a basket swing, a replacement toddler multi-play unit and new safety surfacing.

• Trendlewood Community Park, Nailsea – An accessible spinning dish, a four-person accessible seesaw to replace the dated standalone slide, a replacement toddler multi-play unit, and new safety surfacing.

• The Park, Weston-super-Mare – A four-person toddler springer, spinning bowl and trim trail.

• Salthouse Fields, Clevedon – A larger sand pit with a digger and play stations, two basket swings, a toddler unit with inclusive access stairs, a large climbing junior unit, a net twister, a 3D shark head and new safety surfacing.

The council plans to start installing the equipment in The Vale from the end of July followed by Trendlewood and then The Park.

Work at each of these play areas will take between two and three weeks to complete.

The upgrades at Salthouse Fields will start early September and is expected to take around five weeks to complete.