Witney News - New play areas move a step closer

New play areas move a step closer

A new play area for Carterton and a multi-use games pitch at Chipping Norton moved a step closer today Wednesday, 24th October when West Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet agreed to put their construction out to tender.

Sixty per cent of the £220,000 estimated cost of these facilities will come through a Big Lottery Fund grant approved in June while £ 70,000 will be put up by the District Council and £20,000 for the games pitch from Chipping Norton Town Council.

Preparatory work on the play area proposed for Carterton's Kilkenny Lane Country Park and the new multi games area and viewing shelter at Chipping Norton Recreation Ground will begin before the end of December.

The new play area within the country park will be fully inclusive, taking in a special garden for children with sensory impairments along with natural landscaped features like mounds and tunnels plus some play equipment.

In addition to the new games area that will be managed by the Town Council, work at Chipping Norton will also include improvements to the existing play area with better safety surfacing the top priority.

"Both of these schemes will help us meet our aim of providing quality leisure opportunities and promoting a healthy lifestyle for young people in West Oxfordshire," says Cllr Hilary Biles, Cabinet Member for Leisure & Tourism.

"Meanwhile we have asked officers to take another urgent look at how we can form a partnership to deliver a play ranger service which has qualified for a further £50,000 of lottery funding."