Honiton play areas to get £46,000 facelift

The new design for Davey Field, voted for by Honiton youngsters. (Image: Archant)

Honiton primary schools pupils have chosen the designs for eagerly awaited improvements to the Bowling Green - Millers Way and Langford Avenue play areas in Honiton.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) and Honiton Town Council have been working closely to spend £46,850 on improvements to the play areas in the town.

Just over £28,000 will be spent at the Bowling Green - Millers Way playing field and a further £18,500 at Langford Avenue.

Funding for the play areas has come from Section 106 legal agreements - money that comes from a number of developers who have built housing in the Honiton area. EDDC chooses to involve the community in how it spends this money to ensure that it meets the needs of the community.

Honiton Town Council decided that the two play areas were most in need of improvements.

Children from Honiton Primary School and Littletown Primary School have been heavily involved in the process and have developed the design briefs as well as choosing what kind of equipment they wanted to see there.

The children voted for best play area design nearest to their schools in special assemblies.

In all, 374 children at Honiton Littletown Primary voted on their favourite design for Bowling Green - Millers Way play area, with 64 per cent choosing the winning design by HAGS SMP.

At Honiton Primary School, 312 children voted on their favourite design for Langford Avenue and 71 per centchose the winning design by Wicksteed.

The designs have been ratified by Honiton Town Council and are now being ratified by EDDC.

Cllr Iain Chubb, EDDC cabinet member for the environment, said: “I would like to thank all the children and young people in the town who have given their views on the type of equipment they wanted and then voted on the resulting designs.

“As the young people are the ones who use these play areas, we know how important it is that they get what they want.

“As a council, we choose to involve the community in spending this money, which the vast majority of other local authorities don’t. It’s great that it is used to fund what the community really wants.”

A spokesman for Honiton Town Council said: “We are really pleased that two playparks in Honiton will be improved especially in Langford Avenue where the current facilities were very limited and we were really impressed with the designs that have been chosen by the children.

“The equipment that will be put in these play parks is very exciting for both the younger and older children, as well as being inclusive for all and it is hoped that they will bring many happy hours of enjoyment.”