Sowerby Bridge News

New Playgrounds Being Opened By Calderdale's Mayor

New places to play will be celebrated in Calderdale this week with the official opening of five refurbished playgrounds. The openings are part of a scheme to improve 22 playgrounds in the borough under the three-year Department for Children, Schools and Families Play Builder programme.

The Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Arshad Mahmood, will officially open Mount Tabor playground, Mount Tabor Road, HX2 0UP at 10.30am on Friday 19 March and Mill Bank playground, Birks Lane, Halifax, HX6 3DY at 12 noon. Journalists and photographers are welcome to attend.

A further two playgrounds will be opened on Friday: Scout Road, Mytholmroyd at 9.30am and Clay House, Rochdale Road at 11.30am. On Saturday at 11am, Beech Recreation Ground, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 2LT, will be opened. Members of the public are welcome to attend all the openings. Meadow Bottom playground in Todmorden will be opened in April.

After a competitive bidding process, Calderdale was named one of 44 ‘Play Builder’ authorities in 2008. The borough is receiving £1,171,000 in funding as part of the Government’s Children’s Plan, under which £235m is being allocated over the three- year programme to build or upgrade more than 3,500 playgrounds nationwide.

The emphasis of the Play Builder project is providing naturalistic and challenging play areas for eight to 13-year-olds. Since 2008, 14 Calderdale play areas have been refurbished as part of the programme, with a final eight due for refurbishment later this year.

The play areas already opened under the scheme are: Clough Lane Recreation Ground, Mixenden; Crow Wood Park, Pye Nest, Sowerby Bridge; Finkil Street, Hove Edge, Brighouse; Grantham Road Playing Fields, Boothtown; Holmes Park Recreational Ground, Luddendenfoot; Spring Edge, Saville Park.

Eight more play areas are due for refurbishment later this year:

• Ainley Top Recreation Ground, Ainley Top, Elland, HX3 3RU
• Conway Street, Park, HX1 4DT
• Copley Recreation Ground, Copley, HX3 0TP
• Dodd Naze, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8DS
• Longfield, Todmorden, OL14 6NW
• Lane Head, Brighouse, HX6 2EA
• Pellon Recreation Ground, Pellon, HX2 0EU
• Beechwood Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 1DJ

Councillor Ian Cooper, CMBC Community Services portfolio holder, said:-

“The newly-opened playgrounds are great news for children across Calderdale. With childhood obesity and inactivity at an all-time high, we believe it’s more important than ever to encourage children to get active and have the chance to play outdoors in a safe, fun and exciting environment.”