THE FIRST phase of an ambitious £912,000 scheme to breathe new life into Diglis fields has kicked off with improvements to the children’s play area.
Work began this week to revamp the area which is part of a package of measures which will see 11 different projects tackled over the next 18 months.
Council chiefs hope the overhaul will give the area a much-needed new lease of life and will remove existing older equipment from the play park.
Following consultation with the residents, the existing playground will be removed and new state-of-the-art equipment will be installed in its place.
This will include a natural play mound complete with tunnel, wide slide, pull up rope, Burma Bridge, roundabouts and a Totem pole for younger children.
And the much-needed revamp will also cater for older children who will be able to enjoy Hurricane and Pendulum swings, a ‘pick up sticks’ style climbing frame, a Buddyboard see-saw and zigzag twister.
A seating area will be positioned between the younger and older childrens’ play areas so that parents can easily keep an eye on their children.
Worcester City Council was spurred into action in December following a report which described the area as ‘an increasingly important’ part of the city which was used by ‘hundreds of thousands’ of people each year.
Funding for the project has come from private developers and Worcester City Council as part of an agreement to add new infrastructure to the community as part of other construction plans.
David Sutton, service manager for a cleaner and greener city, said: “The innovative transformation of this play area is just one of a number of steps we are taking to enhance the Diglis playing fields, Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve and the adjacent riverside.
“Local residents and visitors will greatly benefit from the raft of improvements we are making to one of Worcester’s much loved open spaces.”
The new state-of-the-art equipment will be installed during May and June in the hope it will be ready in time for the school summer holidays.
Council chiefs hope the revamp of Diglis fields will be completed by December 2016.
