‘Play park will be finished by end of the summer’

Work finally got underway on the new play park on Monday (August 6), two weeks after the council said work would begin on the £75,000 project.

Local residents were growing concerned that work had not commenced on site and that children would miss out if it was not completed before they went returned to school after the holidays.

Woodland Drive resident and father of two, Mark McGookin, said: “We were told work would start on July 23 and on the 24th workmen showed up to put a fence up and no-one has been near it since.

“It was bad enough when they did away with the original play park without having another built like was promised to us.

“But now there is a fear the work will take longer and not be ready before the end of the school holidays.”

The council said a delay in the delivery of play equipment held up progress on site.

A spokeswoman said: “The contractor was back on site yesterday. Work has resumed after a brief delay waiting on the arrival on the play equipment.

“Weather permitting the play area is still on schedule to be completed at the end of August.”

When asked for a specific date when local children will be allowed to play in the new park, the council spokeswoman would only state that work would be completed “by the end of August”.

The building of the new play area (see computer generated image of new facility inset) has been dogged by controversy from the outset. In April the old play area was removed despite assurances from the council that it would have a new facility in place before the old facility was removed. At the time the council blamed ‘liability issues’ and planning delays for the hold up.