At a series of Area Partnerships, communities will hear how the council has committed £5million over ten years on new playparks, skate parks, pump tracks, all age outdoor spaces and youth shelters. Reports are being discussed at all five area partnership meetings in the region, setting out the plans in more detail.
The issue was on the agenda at the Berwickshire (6 June), Teviot and Liddesdale (11 June) and Tweeddale (12 June) meetings with Cheviot up next on 19 June and Eildon on 27 June.
New playparks include:
A new £342k playpark was recently unveiled at Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre near Ancrum. It follows on from parks in:
• Galashiels (£292k)
• Oxton (£60k)
• Stow (£30k)
A state-of-the-art playpark was also opened in Hawick in 2017 as part of a major regeneration of Wilton Lodge Park.
-- Advertisement --
Children in Coldstream will be next to enjoy new facilities with a £250k playpark opening in Home Park later this month, followed by Kelso where work should start this summer.
And money is also being invested over the next four years in: Peebles; Hawick; Duns; Eyemouth; Earlston; Jedburgh.
Councillor Shona Haslam, Council Leader, said: "We are proud to be investing millions of pounds in these fantastic playparks. This will help get a generation of children outdoors and active. We're making sure we have a network of playparks throughout the Borders that we can proud of.
"Our investment means we will have better and bigger facilities but some smaller sites will have to close. We've carefully looked at playparks which aren't used as much or are limited in what they can offer, that we will be looking to remove. We have lots of old equipment in unsuitable locations, for example on concrete standings or in areas that flood easily, are often vandalised, or in a poor state of repair - and we are discussing with communities what should happen to these.
"We want our playparks to be the best, but that may mean that some of the single swings or roundabouts may have to go. We're putting these plans to communities through the area partnerships so they are aware of them and can have their say."
Councillor Sandy Aitchison, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Locality Services
"The new playparks that we are putting in place are of a really high standard, with the latest features including specialist equipment to make sure they are inclusive.
"We are investing a large amount of money in improving the right facilities in the right places. We are planning to remove some of the smaller life-expired parks but will not do this until the new facilities in that locality are completed."
