Work to start at play areas

Work is expected to begin on four play areas within the district as early as 2014, it was revealed.

Chairman of the Council’s Leisure Services Committee, Alderman Paul Porter, spoke of his delight at the new project getting approval.

The programme, which will take place at a number of locations within the City of Lisburn, was agreed at the Full Meeting of Council on Tuesday night (September 24).

The Play Areas capital investment programme had been discussed at a specially convened meeting of the Leisure Services Committee last week, which was chaired by Alderman Porter.

The four play areas that will be refurbished include Avonmore, Barbour Playing Fields, Glenmore and Mount Eagles.

Alderman Paul Porter said he made a play area refurbishment programme a priority when he became chairperson.

He said that he had been working hard trying to get the programme started from the summer.

He claimed that the project will give a new lease of life to the play areas within the city and hoped that the council could find the money for other parks in the area.

“I requested a review of our urban play parks back in June when I was elected as Chairman of the Leisure Services Committee as I see it as very important for continued investment in our community play areas,” he said.

“These are so important for local people’s use and for recreational activity.

“A number of urban play parks were identified and it would be my hope that following work on the four urban play parks that the Council can look to further regeneration of play parks across the Council area.

“We carried out a number of new play park openings earlier in the year and I am keen that our refurbishment and upgrade programme continues to be rolled out so that local communities benefit from enhanced local facilities.

“As a locally elected councillor it is very important to me that this work is rolled out with continual improvements in mind.

“We pride ourselves on our leisure services provision across the City and following the play parks upgrades across the City I felt it was time that the areas of Old Warren, the Barbour Playing Fields, Glenmore and Mount Eagles were progressed,” he said.