Parents, children and dog walkers are amongst those that will benefit from money being invested into three parks across Nottingham. One “run down” park, the Arkwright play area in The Meadows, is one of these parks.
Funding has been confirmed from FCC Communities Foundation to replace ageing and update existing play areas at Arkwright Park Play Area, with the site set to receive £65,000. Two additional bids have been submitted to FCC for Moor Road Play Area and Marmion Park Play Area. A decision on these two play areas will be confirmed this month.
There are other parks in Nottingham also that will recieve funding from projects, totalling £346,000 funded by FCC Communities Foundation (£268,000) and Nottingham City Council. Other parks benefiting include: Coppice Park, Seaford Avenue Park, Amesbury Circus Park and Arkwright Walk Open Space.
Parents whose children regularly use the park have admitted it has needed improvements for a very long time. Stacey Herring, 34 and a full-time mum who has always lived in The Meadows, was pleased with the decision to refurbish the park.
She told Nottinghamshire Live: “It’s about time we had a bit more around here. There used to be youth clubs around here, too, but now, children have nothing. I think that in the area, the kids can be divided. I’d agree that the park is run down.”
Stacey grew up in The Meadows and has a lot of family in the area. She added: "You hear bad news about The Meadows but it’s not as bad as people say. My kids play here and they play with everyone, I want the area to be like one big family, a union.
“I’d love this park to have a waterpark like the one down in Bulwell especially as there’s no paddling pool down on the embankment now. In this park, the whole lot needs ripping out, one thing I do like about it though is that it’s secure with the gates, the one down at the Trent isn’t and I know that a lot of parent’s don’t like that.”
A reason contributing to the approval of funding for some Nottingham parks was to reduce crime in certain areas. The improvements of the parks will hopefully lead to less crime and anti-social behaviour.
38-year-old Lee Davis, self-employed who lives in The Meadows sometimes walks his dog near the Arkwright Play Area. He said: “I don’t use the park a lot. There is quite a bit of green space but I don’t think it’s big enough for a proper walk when I’m out with my dog.
“The park is very popular, I always see a lot of families here, it’s a good park and I’m glad it’s getting the improvements it needs. These are the things that you want to see money being spent on.”
22-year-old Charlie Haynes, a student who grew up in The Meadows, takes her two siblings to the park occasionally. She said: “My family don’t live in The Meadows anymore, our nan does so when we visit, because she doesn’t have the biggest back garden, I’ll take them here.
“I used to come here though when I was younger and we used to have so much fun. You can tell that it needs doing but some things need repainting and it is a popular park too so I’d like to see it extended out a bit. There are loads of kids in this area, too, so I’m sure they’ll all appreciate a new park.”
Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Parks at Nottingham City Council, Cllr Audra Wynter, said: “We are delighted to be carrying out improvements at six play areas across the city, with work getting under way now and scheduled to finish by the summer. The improvements represent a total investment of almost £350,000, with £268,000 coming from the FCC Communities Foundation following successful bids by the council. The rest comes from developer contributions and our local area funds for building projects.
“We’re looking forward to these communities benefiting from new play equipment, seating, outdoor fitness equipment and improved access to their play areas. Most of the schemes involve full refurbishment or completely new play areas, and we can’t wait to open them to the public.”
