The long awaited revamp of Heaton Park’s play area - complete with iconic UFO tower slide - is finally complete - and opens this weekend.
We reported last week how families, frustrated with it being closed over summer, had been promised it would reopen later this month.
The initial aim was to have it ready in time for the long school break and Manchester council came under fire from parents when it announced it wouldn’t be finished in time.
But now it’s good news for little ones as the play area - including the popular 10-metre high tower slide - is back in business from Saturday morning.
The refurb, planned with the help of park users, has seen every play item either replaced or restored - and the space has been extended to accommodate brand new features and more young people.
The centrepiece of the development is the UFO tower slide and inclusive play attractions are a key addition, including a wheelchair-accessible roundabout, a new nest for the existing cantilever swing and a new supported seat on the five-arm spinner.
Another exciting addition to the park is the introduction of climbing boulders and a natural section, to encourage adventure play.
Park users were consulted at the start of the refurbishment project, with their feedback informing the design and types of equipment chosen for the play area.
The top three playing activities suggested through the consultation were swinging, sliding and climbing - and these elements have all been incorporated into the new play area.
The work was made possible thanks to a boost from the Clean City fund – a one-off dividend paid to the city council as part-owners of Manchester Airport Group – with £600,000 provided to enable the refurbishment the play area, refurbishment of the Farm Centre’s toilet block and for improvements to the provision of footpaths, bins and benches across the park.
Watch: Super friendly squirrels in Heaton Park
Coun Luthfur Rahman, executive member for culture and leisure, said: “After consulting local residents, we have significantly enhanced Heaton Park’s play area, ensuring that this popular attraction will be in place for local families to enjoy for generations to come.
“With the help of Clean City funding, this ambitious project has furnished one of our great green spaces with a suitably impressive play area, which is fully inclusive, to ensure that everyone can enjoy the facilities.”
