Play areas in Boston look set to be given a new lease of life thanks to a £100,000 investment.
New swings – including a swing for those with disabilities – will replace the current facilities in place at Boston’s Central Park.
Boston Borough Council has approved the funding which is to be part-funded by Boston Big Local and Boston Town Area Committee.
The scheme will also see new goal posts, rubbish bins, a slide, an extended path to the swing and roundabout area, a new roundabout, fitness equipment and a multi-use games area on the tennis court site.
St John’s Park will also get a basketball hoop and be resurfaced and a new rubbish bin put in place.
Garfit’s Lane is to receive a multi-use games area and two new dog waste bins.
Burgess Pit will get a new see-saw, two springer rides and surfacing to the basketball area.
Woodville Road and Shelton’s Field will each get a new roundabout.
All these works will cost £91,286.
There will also be landscaping works costing £8,910 as well as expansion of the existing orchard and wildflower area in the St John’s play area and Burgess Pit and creation of orchards and wildflower areas in Garfit’s Lane, Woodville Road and Shelton’s Field.
The investment has been welcomed by park users.
Jo Hartley, who takes her children to Central Park, said: “It will be refreshing to have some new equipment in the park.
“Despite much negativity about the park itself, it’s actually lovely. You can take the children into the play area or let them have a kick around on the grass. A cheap family day out.”
John Kartright added: “It will be nice to see some equipment updated for the young ones as long as its looked after.”
Other plans include an expansion to the orchard and wildflower area and creation of a hedgehog-friendly grass margin around the field edge at the Broadfield Lane site.
Central Park will see an extension of the Birch Avenue at the Tawney Street entrance, a pollinator-friendly garden near the sub-station and shade-loving plants to the nature area near the tennis courts. Local Hope fundraised £10,000 for a disabled swing.
There will be ground cover planting at Pilgrim Patch alongside John Adams Way.
The work will take place during the current financial year, except for work in Central Park which will take place during the 2018/19 financial year.
Planting has already taken place under trees in Woodville Road playing field of 9,000 snowdrops and bluebells, courtesy of Boston in Bloom which received bulbs and seeds worth £1,000 from Boston Seeds.
There are plans to plant more early-season bulbs, snowdrops and bluebells at other sites next autumn.
Two bug hotels, designed and made by Boston College students and donated to Boston in Bloom, will be made available for Broadfield Lane and the Central Park growing space.
