Beer children choose their exciting new play equipment

A much anticipated revamp of an uninspiring playpark in Beer has taken a step closer to completion as local children have chosen their favourite design.

Beer Parish Council and East Devon District Council have been working closely together and with local people to make £17,500 worth of eagerly anticipated improvements to the Ash Hill play area. £7,500 has been contributed by developers through Section 106 funding for play.

This type of contribution was a condition of planning approval for a number of developments in the area. Beer Parish Council then successfully applied for £10,000 of Awards for All funding from the National Lottery to add to the Section 106 funds.

Children had a choice of three designs and voted for their favourite, with the winning option including a basket swing, climbing frame, a spinning item, stepping logs and some seating.

The final voting took place in a special assembly at Beer Primary School and at an Axe Air Explorer Unit meeting on 1 May.

Of the 114 children and 16 scouts who voted, 75% chose the winning design by Proludic. The result has been ratified by Beer Parish Council and will now be rubber-stamped by East Devon District Council so that worked can go ahead ordering and installing the playground with the help of EDDC's StreetScene Engineers.

Cllr Martin Cox, Beer Parish Councillor who has led on the project said: “We've been working on the improving of Ash Hill play area for a couple of years and I’m delighted for the children that we are now going to have a more exciting play area.

“We've achieved this thanks to excellent co-operation between the Parish Council, the school, Scouts and EDDC. It was great to get the lottery grant which ensured that the new equipment would meet most of the children’s aspirations. Leading the project I've much appreciated the support of many, including Wendy Abbott”.

Cllr Geoff Pook, EDDC Ward Member for Beer, said: “The Ash Hill play area has always been popular but suffered from very limited facilities. I am very pleased to see that new equipment is to be provided and the whole area upgraded. Especially gratifying is the way EDDC and the parish have gone about selecting the equipment with a truly participatory approach engaging the children and residents in the decision”.

The three designs which children chose from were provided by companies in line with the councils’ design brief for the area. The councils came up with this based on Beer Parish Council's consultation work in Beer last year, when they visited Beer Primary School and the Scouts to find out what type of activities children wanted to be able to do in the play area.

With a final design now finding favour, it’s hoped that the work will get underway in the next few months.