Seven Weymouth play parks get major makeover

Weymouth Town Council has completed a £70,000 investment in upgrading seven play parks across the town, bringing new equipment for children to enjoy.

The improvements began at the Pottery Lane play area, where a new climbing frame with a slide has been installed. Other upgrades include the Melcombe Regis play area, which now features a wheelchair-accessible roundabout, a dolphin-shaped springer, and talking tubes for children to enjoy.

Lodmoor play area also saw significant enhancements with the addition of a timber rope-end swing, a springer, and a rotating climbing frame. Telford Close in Preston now boasts new swings and Miles Gardens in Upwey has a replacement swing.

Westmacott play area, located just off Dorchester Road, received a four-seat spring seesaw, and Honeysuckle Close now has a new springer in the shape of a falling star.

All seven play areas are now back open and can be used by the public again.

The Melcombe Regis play area, near the Swannery, has been full of parents and kids checking out the new equipment. 

Annmarie Fairclough and her four-year-old daughter Temperance came down to check out the new equipment specially.

She said: "I think they are really good. This playpark is the best I have ever seen it.

"It was a little dingy, it has definitely cleaned it up. We saw the improvements and that is why we came down.

"The council have done well spending money where it's needed. Over the next couple of weeks, we will check them all out (the playparks)."

Annmarie Fairclough and her four-year-old Temperance (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

For Leanne Waldron, parks like this one are especially important for her autistic son Jack, aged 10.

She said: "It is definitely money well spent. There was not a lot originally, and since they have put in the new bits more people have been coming to use it."

Leanne Waldon and her son Jack, aged 10 (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Eleanor Hutton and her daughter Amelie, aged three, are enjoying playing on the new equipment.

Eleanor said: "It is wonderful. It is nice for the children to have somewhere to go and that they have made accessibility improvements.

"It is nice for them (children) to have some new things to go on, and to just have nice outdoor spaces to encourage them to be out and about.

"We have been to Lodmoor as well, it's lovely."

Eleanor Hutton and her daughter Amelie, aged 3 (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Jon Orrell, said: “It’s fantastic to see the council investing in play areas for children in Weymouth. I’m confident these upgrades will be greatly enjoyed by the younger residents.

“We are committed to improving the wellbeing of Weymouth residents, and these enhanced play areas are a significant step towards that goal.”