SCHOOL children today helped celebrate the official opening of a revamped �50,000 playground at Brook Meadow Play Area in Sible Hedingham, Essex.

The pupils from Hedingham Secondary School celebrated the unveiling along with Cllr Wendy Schmitt, Braintree District Council’s cabinet member for the environment, Jo Beavis and Hylton Johnson, ward councillors from Hedingham and Maplestead, parish councillor Steven Partridge, and parish clerk Adrian Corder–Birch.

Designed for children from toddlers to teens and children with disabilities, the new play area includes a wheelchair inclusive roundabout, group swing, titian swing and viper swing which are both multi-use swings and a free-ride.

The site will also eventually benefit from new litter bins and picnic benches around the park.

New safety surfacing has been installed and all the equipment and the play area comply with the latest European safety standards.

Cllr Schmitt said: “It’s lovely to see the children enjoying and playing on this new equipment here today – especially as local children and their parents helped shape the playground’s design.”

As part of its programme of improving children’s play facilities across the district, Braintree District Council carried out the parks transformation to the play area after consultation with 848 houses in the area, they were then asked to take part with an on site public consultation to choose their favourite designs. The equipment was supplied and installed by HAGS.

The �50,000 project was funded by the council’s capital play area budget and was installed in October.