NEW ‘Play on the Way’ equipment is brightening school journeys for Worcester children.
Worcester City Council has completed the installation of new play equipment along a well-used walking route for local schoolchildren – between Cranham Drive and Chedworth Close in the Warndon area of the city.
Children of all ages can now enjoy a variety of exciting new play equipment, including stepping stones, interactive game boards, a climbing frame and monkey bars, a performance platform, a wheelchair-accessible floor trampoline, and a stepping log trail.
The new facilities have been designed to work with the natural environment at the site, with a new slide integrated into an existing embankment and bench seating installed around a tree.
The play area has just opened, and further improvements are planned for the future. These will include a walkway through the nearby coppice, natural log seating, and the addition of bat and bird boxes.
Two new interpretation boards will also be installed at either end of the walking route, highlighting the local biodiversity.
The city council’s place and economic development committee gave the £100,000 project the green light last year as part of its Worcester Play Plan.
Coun Hannah Cooper, vice-chair of the committee joined pupils from Cranham Primary School to try out the new play facility.
She said: “This imaginative project encourages children to walk, cycle, or scoot to school, with opportunities to stop and play along the way.
“It supports physical activity, social interaction, and brings a playful energy to everyday routines – regardless of the season.
“The natural design of the equipment also complements the environment and enhances the character of the area.”
The Worcester Play Plan was launched to address the city’s shortage of children’s play spaces. So far, it has delivered several new facilities, including a pump track at Battenhall Park, with a second track planned for Perdiswell.
Other recent improvements under the plan include new equipment Cripplegate Park and Meadway Road play areas.
