A city centre park in Stirling is to be turned into a new state-of-the-art play area.

The £200,000 project in Stirling's historic Kings Park is being financed by a package of funding that includes; developer contributions from Ogilvies/AL King, Stirling Waterfront Ltd and grant funding sourced by The Friends of Kings Park.

Stirling Council's Children's Services awarded the contract to Landcare Solutions (Scotland) Ltd for the redevelopment of the play area.

Designed by Judi Legg Landscape Designer and Mike Hyatt Landscape Architect, the new play area will boast numerous fun features including a tower/bridge/slide embankment unit, climbing wall, bicycle roundabout, aerial runway and landscape improvements to existing features.

The major redevelopment has been necessary due to the park's wooden Town Art multi-play frames coming to the end of their play life - after giving 20 years of enjoyment to many children and families visiting the park over the last two decades.

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The old play equipment was installed in 1988 and originated from an Exhibit by Stirling District Council for the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival.

Stirling Council's Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Children's Service Councillor Graham Lambie said: "The Council is pleased that we are able to progress the refurbishment of the play area in Kings Park. The existing equipment has lasted well but has reached the stage where it needs to be removed and it is hoped that the new play area, once installed, will be as well used as the current facility."

The Friends of Kings Park's Dorothy Wilson said: "The play area in Kings Park proves very popular and is well used by children and families throughout the year. These new facilities in the Park will contain some exciting play features, which we are sure both young and older children, will enjoy. We would like to thank Clackmannan and Stirling Environment Trust for provision of a grant towards the cost of some of these new play features."

Councillor Lambie added: "Kings Park is visited by residents from throughout the Stirling area and beyond and we are pleased to be able to announce this major investment in the park. Whilst closing the play area will cause some inconvenience we are confident that park users will know that this disruption will be worth it in the end with more up to date fun facilities being provided."

Work on the new park will start on August 18 and is expected to be completed by January 2009. During the construction work the play area will be closed.

(GK/JM)