Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s planning committee has approved the relocation of a children’s play area at an Armagh recreation centre.
The application came before the planning committee as it was submitted by the council and concerns the relocation and replacement of the children’s play area at the Cathedral Road Recreation Centre.
The site of the new play park is west of and adjacent to the existing pavilion and car parking area at the recreation centre.
At present, the application site has a storage container and wooden shed located on it and is part of a wider multi-purpose court which is used for a range of sporting activities including tennis, basketball and football.
The proposed play area is 494 sqm in size and will be fenced off with new weld mesh fencing, along the boundaries which are presently undefined and will provide a variety of new children’s play equipment.
A rubber safety surfacing will be installed around the equipment with open textured bitmac to be used elsewhere.
In total, 12 pieces of play equipment will be installed including a large adventure themed multi-play unit, an inclusive accessible pod swing, a climbing structure and a hopscotch surface.
Other accessible equipment that will be installed includes a wheelchair roundabout, a snail themed sit in spring rocker, an accessible inclusive multi-activity play unit, a visual auditory sensory panel and a visual tactile sensory panel.
The current play area will be removed and replaced with grass.
Read more: New £100,000 state-of-the-art play area planned at Armagh’s Cathedral Road recreation grounds
Reflecting on the proposal, the committee’s Chair, Councillor Darren McNally welcomed the proposal but sought assurances some of the equipment included in the site would be inclusive.
A planning officer confirmed that was to be the case telling the committee a “range of inclusive play equipment” will be provided at the new play area.
Councillor Sam Nicholson welcomed the application and proposed the application was approved.
“This proposal is much better looking than what is there at present,” said Cllr Nicholson.
“It will be of great benefit to the local community and will certainly get good use.”
His proposal to approve the application was seconded by Councillor Paul Duffy.
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