Local Focus – The Playpark in Cuckney
Article by Cllr Conor Marples on the issue of the work done by the Parish Council on the Cuckney Play Park.
Published: 5 March 2024
The playpark in Cuckney has received some much-needed care and attention recently, with further improvements planned in the future.
Potholes aren’t just a blight on our roads, one has also formed in the safety surface of the roundabout, causing a significant safety hazard. The surface will soon be restored, which means the Parish Council will soon have filled one more pothole in the area than the County Council have this year!
There is also restoration work planned for the climbing equipment. The guarantees on these items allowed us to have this work completed for a significantly discounted price, hopefully extending the equipment’s lifespan long into the future. The bark chipping around the equipment is also being reviewed, as we are looking for a long term permanent surface, rather than buying costly replacement stock each year.
You may have noticed that one of the picnic benches has been damaged by, and I can’t believe I’m writing this, a visitor using it as a surface for their disposable barbeque. We have applied for grant funding from our District Councillor Charles Adams to replace it. The replacement will be made from 100% recycled plastic, similar to the one in the Village Garden. In appearance it will look wooden, but the materials used make these benches more durable to the elements and anti-social behaviour.
The Parish Council took the difficult decision to remove the zipwire in February. I think I speak for many when I say this was a brilliant piece of equipment when it was first installed, but the cost of
maintaining it would have drained our limited funds and led to other items also falling into disrepair. We all want to make sure that funds are spent wisely and I hope this article shows that the Parish Council are making long term investments in our community areas.
This also provides an opportunity for everyone to help choose some new equipment. The Parish Council have started looking at an adventure trail for the unoccupied space, made up of monkey bars, log walks, stilts and steppers, to name but a few of our ideas. We aim to fill the space with equipment which provides variety and can be used by more than one person at a time, a limitation of the zipwire. Depending on funding, this may be built in stages and expanded as time goes on.
The Parish Council would like to hear from all ages about their ideas for the playpark, whether it is new equipment or improvements to other areas, as well as the other community areas we all cherish.