Construction of the new Beacon play park on the Jubilee Green, Savages Wood Road, finally got underway this week as contractors moved onto the site.
The park was originally expected to be finished by Easter, with an official opening planned for the Community Festival in June, but delays and setbacks have seen the projected completion date slip to the end of June.
Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC) now says the park will open on Friday 24th July, “after turf on site has had a chance to establish”.
A spokesperson for BSTC said:
“We are delighted the hard work of both councils and their partners are now coming to fruition”
“We will be announcing plans for events to coincide with the park’s opening in due course.”
The cost of building the park is understood to be around £160k, having risen by 45% since plans were first drawn up. The Big Lottery Fund is providing £55k with the remainder coming from South Gloucestershire Council and BSTC.
The latest plans show that the park will be roughly circular in shape and will incorporate three man-made mounds. A wooden bridge will link two of the mounds, while the third mound will incorporate a spiral path and a ‘phone tube’ linking two seating areas built into its sides.
Equipment in the park will include a climbing pole, rodeo board, exercise bikes and a rowing machine. Two slides and a sand pit will be provided for younger children, while teenagers will be given the opportunity to ‘design & build’ their own shelter.
Local residents have expressed concerns that the park will act as a magnet for vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the evenings and have unsuccessfully called for the park to be bounded by a fence, allowing it to be closed at night.
The scheme has already been targeted by vandals, who recently destroyed two trees that had been planted in February along the edge of the Savages Wood Road site.
Southern Brooks Community Partnership (SBCP) is setting up a ‘Friends of Jubilee Green’ group for people interested in supporting the play park project. Winsome Barrett Muir of SBCP says the group will plan events, promote the park, provide feedback, help with fundraising and gather and share information about the park. More information and contact details are available here [PDF, 79KB] on the SBCP website.
Latest plans of the play park (on the BSTC website):
- Jubilee Green Detail Layout [PDF, 100KB]
- Jubilee Green Drawing [PDF, 2.65MB]
The first meeting of the ‘Friends of Jubilee Green’ group takes place on Wednesday 3rd June at the Jubilee Centre (10am start).