AN EXTRA £290,000 has been granted by Wychavon Council to allow for a revamped water play area at Pershore’s Abbey Park.
The additional cash was voted for by District Councillors last week and will be funded from capital receipts.
A £40,000 budget was approved by Wychavon’s executive board in 2020 to replace the surfacing, but this work didn’t happen as a ‘wholesale replacement’ was considered the best option.
A new water play area is expected to cost £330,000 to complete.
The final design for the new play area has now been delegated to a project group for approval.
The group comprises Coun Emma Stokes, Wychavon’s portfolio holder for Resident and Customer Services, as well as the council’s Senior Parks and Greenspace Officer and the local ward members.
Coun Stokes said the first meeting had been held with the ward members and there was a ‘lot of agreement’ on plans, especially on the proposed water canon.
Pershore Councillor Dan Boatright-Greene added he was excited the new water play area would be accessible as many young people in the area currently can’t access local parks in the way they would want to.
Three water play areas were installed in Abbey Park in Evesham and Pershore as well as Droitwich’s Lido Park between 2005 and 2008.
However, over time these play areas have become more expensive to maintain, with each one costing between £10,000 and £15,000 per year to look after.
The redeveloped play area at Evesham’s Abbey Park was opened in May, with Pershore next on the list.
Work is set to start in November and is expected to take around six months, with the play area set to open on the next May Bank Holiday.
