Fylde parks set for key upgrades

Six play areas in Lytham, Ansdell and St Annes are to be upgraded, Ashton Gardens in St Annes is set for new lighting costing £25,000 and £16,400 is to be spent on access control bollards at three open space areas in St Annes to follow those already installed at two nearby sites to prevent illegal encampments of vehicles.

The bollards are set for Lima Road, Beauclerk Road and Waddington Road parks to follow those put in place last autumn at Ramsgate Road and Blackpool Road North playing fields.

Waddington Road’s play area surfacing will be improved at a cost of £10,980, while surfacing improvement is also planned at St Annes Promenade Gardens (cost £26,764), improvements to surfacing and play equipment at Mornington Park, Lytham (£26,136), surfacing, equipment and fencing at Lansdowne Road, Ansdell (£17,775), surfacing, equipment and seating at King George V play area, Heeley Road, St Annes (£10,256) and play equipment at South Park, Lytham (£8,179).

The new lighting in Ashton Gardens will consist of 21 lighting columns, 17 uplighters and 10 bollard lights as well as new lighting in the Rose Garden and the footpath at the Gardens’ St George’s Road sides.

All the works, together totalling £141,400, were agreed at a meeting of Fylde’s tourism and leisure committee but are subject to budget approval. Committee chairman Coun Cheryl Little said the council hopes to have the works complete as soon as possible “to allow these well-used areas to be enjoyed to their full potential while maintaining the safety of users at all times”.

She added that the council is delighted to ensure long term sustainability of the play areas, the Ashton Gardens improvements are designed to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime into a safe and healthy environment and the access bollards are “an efficient and effective way of ensuring security and safety”.

Meanwhile, a major playing field in St Annes is to have a major overhaul, including spending £125,000 on improving its drainage.

The first stage of the project at Blackpool Road North Playing Fields, approved at a meeting of Fylde Council’s tourism and leisure committee, will be to replace the original collapsed drain which runs the entire length of the field, while at the same time investigative work will be undertaken, on how best to improve the quality of the football pitches and prevent waterlogging.

The preliminary works ill be followed by looking at a complete revamp of the children’s play park, refurbishment of the changing rooms and other general improvements.

Kilnhouse ward Conservative councillors Roger Small and David O’Rourke said in a joint statement: “We are very pleased to see the first phase getting the go-ahead. We are confident that over this year, users of the park and residents will see a dramatic improvement in the much-loved playing fields. The goal of top-grade facilities for all users is that much nearer.”

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