Five council play parks earmarked for upgrades

The refurbishment of five play areas in Chichester could start after the April Easter holiday.

A consultation held in the summer found that the Chichester District Council-owned play areas were "dated and in need of complete replacement".

Priory Park, Oaklands Park, Sherborne Road, Amphitheatre and Whyke Oval would see upgrades if the plans are approved.

The work, which is expected to cost £650,000, will be discussed by the cabinet on January 7, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

There had been plans to refurbish a sixth play area in Florence Park, but a report to the cabinet said it was in good condition and it would be "wasteful" to replace it at this stage.

A budget of £50,000 has been allocated to the Amphitheatre, with £150,000 for each of the other four.

Some of the money will come from the council's general reserve, while the rest will be funded from its asset replacement programme.

If all goes as planned, the work will be finished in August.

The work has been in the pipeline since January, and since then, the city council has expressed an interest in contributing money to the project.

Once a supplier has been approved, those discussions will be concluded, and a final public consultation will be held.

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