Cathedral Road Play Area

Overview

In March 2017 Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council developed a Play Strategy to establish a strategic framework within which all decision-making as it relates to the provision of fixed play and the development of non-fixed play can take place. 

At its core, the Play Strategy acknowledges that play is a natural and fundamental aspect of children and young people’s lives that supports growth and development across a range of developmental areas including:

• Physical and mental health and wellbeing

• Social development

• Intellectual growth and learning

• Practical skills development

• Personal resilience, and

• Establishing a connection to wider society and the community in which children live.

In developing the play strategy Council commissioned PlayBoard NI to undertake a number of key pieces of work including:

•The completion of a play value audit of all existing fixed play areas across the borough to identify those that offer limited play value and require remedial action to enhance their play value.

• Completion of an evaluation of underlying demographic need and settlement patterns to identify potential gap areas that may require the development of fixed play provision over the duration of the strategy, and

• An assessment of underlying demographic need and settlement patterns in areas of existing fixed play provision to identify potentially redundant fixed play areas that are no longer required.

Following completion of this work Council have established a capital works programme for the coming 5 year period (2018 to 2023) aimed at enhancing play value in those fixed play areas in most need, filling geographical gaps in provision and removing redundant fixed play areas and transforming the resultant sites for community use.

Why your views matter

As part of Council’s Capital Play Development Programme the play park in Cathedral Road  has been designated for refurbishment, with an investment of £100,000.00

It has been suggested that the current site may not be in the best location due to the poor ground conditions and site site shape of the current play park.  Taking this into consideration various site visits have taken place 3 potential new sites have been identified.

Council would like to hear residents views on which site they feel would better suit the play park which is designated for Cathedral Road.  Once a site has been agreed, Council will then submit a concept design and carry out further consultations with stakeholders on the equipment selection, layout and design.

Please note: only residents living in the Cathedral Road area should respond to this consultation.

What happens next

Following the survey carried out for Cathedral Road play area, the local community opted for Option two; the hard standing.

Play Development are now currently progressing this site and reviewing a design.

A proposed design of this new play area will be avaialbe to view before the end of November 2020 on the Citizenspace Hub.