A public consultation is to be held with the local community in Aberdeenshire regarding the future provision of play parks in the area. The consultation will involve a series of public meetings and presentations and the feedback received will be used to help shape proposed developments.

Currently, there are 446 council play parks in the council's six local areas and the consultation will look at the equity and location of provision, play value, condition, safety, funding models, maintenance and replacement programmes.

Around £550,000 is spent each year to maintain and manage local facilities, and more than half of that amount is needed to ensure the sites are adequately inspected and repaired. The remaining budget is used to fund the upgrade and replacement of existing equipment, but these costs can be substantial. For example, the replacement, or addition, of a set of swings with required safety surfacing will cost around £5,000, while to refurbish a medium-sized play park with around ten items of equipment costs in the region of £75,000.

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This review will examine the current play park provision and look at the portfolio as a whole, as well as individual sites, to develop the best strategy possible.

Philip McKay, Head of Roads and Landscape Services, explained: "We're keen to ensure that the investment we make in our play parks meets the long term needs and aspirations of our communities."

Stephen Archer, Aberdeenshire Council's Director of Infrastructure Services, added: "We genuinely want to hear from as many people as possible, those who use the play parks in particular. These facilities have the capacity to help improve children's learning, health and fitness as well as making our towns and villages more attractive places to be and we want to make sure they're meeting the needs of residents and visitors."

The consultation can be viewed online here.

(JP/MH)