The play area in Stevenage Town Centre Gardens is finally set to be revamped, two years after it was closed due to safety concerns.

Stevenage Borough Council closed the popular play area in summer 2022 due to the deterioration of the safety surfacing around the play equipment.

In January this year, the council promised it would reopen in time for the summer holidays, but this was pushed back to September, and now until next year.

Today (September 3), the local authority has announced that work on the new play area is due to start in October, with completion due by the end of January 2025.

The council has allocated £250,000 to the site, and new equipment will include a group swing, activity trail, trampoline, an inclusive roundabout, and a bespoke pirate ship.

The local authority said it has "worked closely with inclusive groups and Make Space for Girls in the design process to ensure that the refurbished play area can be used by children of all abilities, aged up to 11".

The council has also worked with residents and children at Broom Barns School in Stevenage, who were asked to choose their top five items of equipment they most wanted to see at the site. The top items were an inclusive roundabout, group swing, trampoline, activity trail and slide.  

Councillor Simon Speller, cabinet member for environment, said: "Firstly, we’d like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience whilst this play area has been closed. We know how popular and well-used this site is, and we wanted to make sure that we got the design right.

"Play is crucial to build active and healthy communities, and this new play area will ensure that imagination and play continue to thrive in Stevenage."

Seven refurbished play areas across Stevenage reopened in time for the summer holidays, having had a collective £455,000 spent on them.

Earlier this year, the council asked residents and children what top five items of play equipment they would most like to see in the new designs.

More than 250 children helped to decide what should be integrated into each, and new equipment included trampolines, a group swing and activity trails.