On Friday 26th July the Town Mayor, Councillor Paul Ward, officially opened Tavistock Town Council’s upgraded playground in Bannawell Park by cutting the ceremonial ribbon with help from brother and sister Max (aged 4) and Emma (aged 7) Hipsey. Cllr Ward said, ‘It was a real delight to officially open the new Bannawell play park. The children were squealing with joy and were having a great time playing on the new play equipment that the public had had a say in choosing. The park is a great example of what can be achieved by two local authorities, Tavistock Town Council and West Devon Borough Council, working together for the benefit of the community. I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing this project to fruition, and especially the Town Council Works Department who, right up to the last minute, worked so hard to ensure the new park is a success.’
Officers were overwhelmed by the number of families who came to the grand opening where play, cake, face painting, and more importantly laughter, was in abundance! The Works Manager, Becky Rowe, said, ‘It was important to create a safe haven for children in the local community to come and enjoy outdoor play. Each piece of equipment has been carefully considered with the primary aim of supporting learning and development through both mental and physical stimulation. Bannawell Park is a hidden gem in the town, not only do we have the wetland reserve and now a fantastic new playground, but we also have open space for friends and families to come together to enjoy a picnic, play games or just take some time in nature.’ The Works Manager would like to thank her team, the Works Department, ‘for all their continued hard work in maintaining the town’s parks and open spaces.’
The park was upgraded using Section 106 monies, allocated by WDBC, relating to the Embden Grange housing development, as well as funding from Tavistock Town Council and utilising in-house skills with the Council’s Works Department, with the overall scheme costing £100,000. The project from planning, securing funding and installation, with Wicksteed Leisure appointed as the preferred designer and installer after extensive public consultation, has been three years in the making. It may appear the Bannawell Playground project is now complete, however there are plans to introduce a herb garden, work with the local schools to create murals on the retaining walls, as well as undertake work throughout the park to further enhance the area.
The Deputy Mayor at Full Council on 30th July thanked the Works Department for all their continued hard work in keeping our parks and open spaces for the community.
