Grand opening for new £50,000 children’s play area in Cooper’s Meadow

Workmen are putting the finishing touches to the new Cooper’s Meadow Play Area, just off the George Lane car park, in readiness for the grand opening at 11am on Friday, 2 November.

Town Mayor, Councillor Lisa Farrell, will be cutting the ribbon and declaring the play area ready for action. It is hoped that since this is half-term there will be lots of children there ready to try out the new play equipment. 

Everyone is invited to the opening event, which runs from 11 am to 12.30, on November 2.  As part of the celebrations there will be a face painter and some goodies to take away.

Following consultation with pupils, their parents and carers at Marlborough St Mary’s, the redesigned play area for children up to the age of 12 years includes swings, a jungle climber, a firefighter’s pole, climbing ladder, slides and more.

Lisa Farrell, who has been working towards this upgrade for some time, said, “I am delighted that the Town Council has been able to secure funding for this exciting and much-needed refurbished play area.”

“Cooper’s Meadow is a wonderful open space for our community and having a fabulous play area for young families and their children to have fun in has been a real ambition of ours.”  

“Thank you to everyone including my fellow councillor, Mark Cooper, whose family has historic close connections with the meadow and who has worked hard with his committee towards bringing it all together.”

The play area cost just over £50,000 and has been mainly funded through developers S106 contributions and payments from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).   Creative Play (UK) Ltd, through a competitive tendering process, won the contract for the play area build under the guidance of Project Manager, Michael Carter of Sports and Play Consulting Ltd.

See ‘Users get a say in the design and layout of the upgraded Cooper’s Meadow Play Area’ - the consultation held by the Town Ciuncil at Marlborough St Mary’s back in July.