Children across East Devon have been treated to five new play areas so far this summer and have five more to come thanks to a £1.2million cash injection.
More than 100 pieces of equipment will be installed across the sites, including everything from ground-level trampolines and climbing frames to tunnels and roundabouts designed for wheelchair access.
The first five sites were completed prior to the summer holidays and the remaining five are planned to be completed by the end of October, with some due to reopen earlier. These include:
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Whitebridges, Honiton – £177k.
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Allhallows, Honiton – £166k.
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Slewton Crescent, Whimple – £109k.
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Byron Way, Exmouth – £137k.
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Littleham Village Hall, Littleham – £85k.
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The improvements are being funded by East Devon District Council (EDDC) through its Capital Programme (£1.1million), with the remaining costs covered by S106 contributions – payments made by developers as part of planning agreements.
We paused installation work through the summer holidays to ensure local children had facilities to use when they need them most. Now that they’re back to school, it’s time to get digging again and complete five more sites.
Local residents played a key role in shaping the designs. Over the summer of 2024, hundreds of people across East Devon took part in an online consultation sharing ideas for the types of play features they wanted to see in their local parks. All participants are now being contacted directly with updates.
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