Whittlesey Water Tower Play Park reopens after £57k refurbishment

Simon Bell, Fenland District Councils leisure and open spaces contract manager; Cllr Kay Mayor, FDC chairman and town and district councillor for Whittlesey; Cllr Dee Laws, town and district councillor for Whittlesey; town councillor Cllr Ray Whitwell and Cllr Peter Murphy, FDCs portfolio holder for the environment, at the newy revamped play park

The Water Tower Play Park in Whittlesey was officially reopened on Friday, June 14.

Fenland District Council began the refurbishment project in April following consultation with the local community to identify the equipment and activities they wanted to see in the park.

Now it boasts a range of new equipment suitable for toddlers to teens, including a climbing and adventure frame, zip-wire, overhead spinning carousel and rope swing.

There is also a climbing frame and slide for the little ones, a basket swing and two-seater swings, new springer seats and a roundabout and see-saw, as well as new picnic benches. Access onto the road has also been addressed with the addition of a new gate.

The refurbishment was made possible thanks to a £47,000 grant from the FCC Communities Foundation (formerly WREN), with additional funding from Fenland District Council and £5,000 from Whittlesey Town Council.

Cllr Peter Murphy, Fenland District Council’s cabinet member responsible for parks and open spaces, said: “The local community played a huge part in bringing this project to fruition. Residents shared their views on what improvements they’d like and new equipment they wanted, which helped to shape the bids for funding and the look of the new area.

“The refurbishment will provide a real boost to the people of Whittlesey and ensure the play park continues to provide a place for families to visit and play for years to come.”

Whittlesey town councillor Cllr Ray Whitwell added: “Children’s play equipment in this part of town was lacking for many years, so we’re delighted the FCC Communities Foundation was able to award this grant to help make this project possible. I’m sure Whittlesey residents and their children are delighted to see finally see it in action.”

FCC Communities Foundation Ltd is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects from funds donated by leading waste and resource management company, FCC Environment.

Richard Smith, the foundation’s senior grant manager, said: “We were delighted to support the play improvement works at the Water Tower Play Park and pleased our funding has provided such a beautiful green space for people across Whittlesey. We are always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities.”