Council to decide on £366k splashpad investment

Councillors will decide if £366,000 should be invested in Gheluvelt Park next month

A council is poised to decide whether to invest more than £350,000 to secure the future of a play area water feature hit by maintenance problems.

The Gheluvelt Splashpad in Worcester, has been out of action for more than 14 days this year because of the problems, Worcester City council said.

The authority has carried out a condition survey of the facility and now says the attraction’s water filtration system is out of date.

The place and economic development committee will meet next Monday, to decide whether it will spend the £366,000 cash to get the splashpad open in time for summer next year.

Councillor Robyn Norfolk, committee chair, said the splashpad was hugely popular, but she recognised the frustration felt by people over the closures.

She said: “The recent condition survey has shown us exactly what the problems with it are and the actions we need to take to ensure that the splashpad can be a popular and reliable place to play and enjoy the sunshine next summer.”

The splashpad uses a recirculation system, where the water is sprayed onto the play area draining into an underground storage tank, from where it is filtered and disinfected before being returned to the surface and sprayed again.

If the committee agrees to the repairs, the policy and resources committee will be asked to approve the funding, on 19 November.