New play park opens in Exmouth

Exmouth children are enjoying a brand new play park – which they helped to design - following a £70,000 investment in exciting new facilities at the Imperial Recreation Ground.

New equipment includes a wizzy 25-metre zip wire, an exhilarating hurricane swing, an interactive wooden boat and a bouncy trampoline.

East Devon District and Exmouth Town Councils used pupil power to help them spend money accumulated from recent town housing developments on play (Section 106 money).

Hundreds of young people from Exeter Road Primary and Marpool Primary Schools, Exmouth Community College and Exmouth Children’s Centre put together a design brief setting out what they would like to see on the site. They then voted for their favourite of the three resulting designs and 44% chose the winning plan.

As Exmouth Mayor Cllr Maddy Chapman officially opened the play area on Monday, scores of youngsters from Exeter Road Primary School were testing out the new equipment.

While £55,000 of the funding for the new facilities came from Section 106 money, East Devon District Council added in a further £15,000 towards the project.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, East Devon District Council Chairman said: “These exciting improvements to the Imperial Recreation Ground play area will certainly keep the young people entertained for many hours.

“Consulting them on what equipment they wished to see included within the scheme has ensured that they have indeed been listened to. This is a great new play area for a new year."
Cllr Chapman added: “It is lovely to have this new play area, which is designed to stimulate adventurous and creative play, at the heart of the town. I am sure it will be very much appreciated by many families.”