WORK to transform a Northwich play area is set to be complete this month – while another project will soon get underway.

Chris Shaw, town clerk, told Monday’s Northwich Town Council meeting the work on the Verdin Park play area should be complete in ‘around three weeks’.

Play equipment is being replaced as part of the project, which is the first phase of upgrade plans for Verdin Park.

It is being funded by a £75,000 grant awarded to Northwich Town Council by Veolia Environmental Trust in January.

After the council secured the grant to carry out the works, Cllr Andrew Cooper said: “With the existing facilities at Verdin now feeling quite dated compared to the other parks in town, we’ve been anxious to make progress on this for some time.

“With the award of this grant, combined with developer contributions from Winnington Urban Village, we’ll finally be able to get started on this and make it something we can be proud of.”

Meanwhile, work is now taking shape to upgrade the play area at Old Hall Road park.

Northwich Guardian:

A picnic bench was set alight at Old Hall Road park earlier this year

Following recent anti-social behaviour, the town council wanted to set up a friends group for the park, and members of the public have begun to register their interest.

Now, play equipment manufacturers are to be invited onto the site to come up with designs for the friends group to consider, and the town council will apply for funding.

Mr Shaw said: “I am hoping we can get the application in, get the funding in place and hopefully December or early January maybe make a start on the play area.”

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Cllr Cooper added: “There is virtually no equipment that is disabled accessible [at Old Hall road].

“That is something that we definitely should fix and it doesn’t cost a huge amount to fix.”