Marine Gardens play park: seafront site in Carrickfergus cleared as refurbishment programme continues

Upgrades to the seafront park commended at the start of February, with an anticipated completion date of July 2024.

It comes as Mid and East Antrim Borough Council approved the sum of £460k to deliver an upgrade of the playground after members were told last summer it could “close within six months without investment” due to equipment that was “not fit for purpose”.

In 2021, CCTV and security patrols were deployed in the Marine Gardens area following a spate of vandalism attacks which included damage to park equipment.

Most of the site has already been cleared and levelled in preparation for new facilities to be installed.

The redesign includes new play equipment that will promote physical development, cognitive skills and sensory exploration, from slides and climbing frames to interactive sensory areas and inclusive swings.

Accessible pathways, seating areas, and a new Changing Places unit are also in the plans, along with “improved security”, according to the council.

Meanwhile, two play parks in Whitehead have been saved from closure by the local authority following opposition in the community.

Councillors agreed at the February 27 meeting of the Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee that closure should be deferred pending a decision on the redevelopment of Castleview Play Park, the main park in the town.

The playgrounds in the town’s Windsor and Ransevyn estates were earmarked for closure after MEABC said they were “reaching end of life status” and would require “substantial investment to try to bring them up to standard to ensure they are suitable for everybody”.