New dinosaur theme for improved Seaton play area

Play areas in Seaton and Honiton have benefitted from £175,000 of exciting new equipment chosen by local children and paid for by East Devon District Council.

£100,000 has been spent on Seafield Gardens play area on the seafront in Seaton, all from main East Devon District Council budgets.

The play area has been given a dinosaur theme and includes climbing equipment, monkey bars, a cableway, trampolines, various swings and slides and more.

This is all equipment asked for by children and young people at Seaton Primary School, Seaton Library Youth Group, Axe Valley Runners Youth Group and the Pink Hippo Day Nursery.

Cherry Close play area in Honiton has been renewed with £75,000 from main council budgets.

The area now has a train theme, as it's next to the Waterloo line. It contains a climbing wall and curly slide, a cableway, trampoline, pretend train, toddler swings and more.

Honiton Littletown Primary School, Littletown Nursery and residents that live around Cherry Close were asked what activities they wanted in the play area. In addition the old and broken fencing has been replaced.

The most popular requests from the children and young people were sent to a number of play equipment suppliers, who competed to provide the best designs.

A good selection of great quality designs were received and, after seeing which designs best provided what the children and young people wanted, Proludic were appointed to manufacture and construct the play areas.

Cllr Cathy Gardner, chairman of East Devon District Council, said: "Both the play areas look fantastic and I'm sure they will be enjoyed by children for many years to come. It's great that each one has a theme that fits in with the local area, Seafield Gardens with a dinosaur theme and Cherry Close with a train theme.

"I'm proud that I was able to officially open both these exciting play areas with their new lease of life."

Cllr Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment, added: "A big thank you to all the children and young people who got involved and had their say. I'm very pleased that we were able to commit to funding improvements to this play areas, which were both at the end of their lives.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the children and young people who helped design the play area enjoying it."

East Devon District Council Seaton ward members, Cllrs Marcus Hartnell, Dan Ledger and Jack Rowland, said: "It is great to see the new play area equipment in place that reflects both the theme of the area and what the children wanted to see when their views were sought.

"As the play park has been open for a week the number of children visiting already demonstrates how popular this will be."