The Parish of St Helier has applied for planning permission to replace old and worn equipment in the playground adjoining the People’s Park close to St Helier House in Westmount Road.
Parish parks director Tony Andrews says that much of the playground’s equipment, which is made from wood, is beginning to show its age.
‘We have had an offer of some funding from a business within the parish to sponsor new play equipment and with other changes to the play area – including laying a new surface – we estimate it will cost £58,000,’ he said.
‘A planning application has gone in so we are going through the process and we hope to have the new playground in place for the spring.’
He added that the sponsor of the project wished to remain anonymous at this stage.
The plans have been welcomed by the West of Town Community Association.
Spokeswoman Mary Ayling-Phillip says the playground is part of a parish-wide initiative to engage the community into taking pride in the town’s public spaces. This includes a community scheme that is currently under way to revitalise the towns’ parks by planting bulbs which will flower in the spring.
‘The playground has become run down and the parish is looking to improve the area around it,’ she said.
‘The weekend before last we had 40 people who gave their time to help plant 40,000 bulbs around the banks of People’s Park to brighten up the area next year.’
She added that similar bulb-planting schemes were taking place in Parade Gardens and the Millennium Town Park and that children from town primary schools and nurseries were also joining involved.
