Dozens of playgrounds to get much needed upgrades in coming months

The Playable Spaces Strategy is a £6.4m investment by Bradford Council that has already seen a major upgrade of the play area in Lister Park - the busiest play area in the District.

This week the authority announced which play areas will be getting upgrades as part of the £1.6m second wave of works.

St Ives Play area on the St Ives Estate, one of the first play areas to get an upgrade this year.

Work has already started at three popular play areas - at Riverside Park in Ilkley, Central Park in Haworth and Myrtle Park in Bingley.

Work will start on the remainder of the play areas in the coming months.

As well as much needed repairs and improvements to equipment and facilities across the District, the work will also include new facilities at a number of locations.

In total, 33 play areas will be included in the second and current phase of the refurbishment programme this year.

Ilkley Riverside Park new playground design. Picture: Kompan

These include seven of the larger play areas, fourteen "local and neighbourhood play areas" and five "doorstep play areas" as well as seven other sites needing urgent repairs.

A third and final phase of the five-year long refurbishment programme will then begin to deliver works at the remaining sites in the District that require significant maintenance and refurbishment.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, portfolio holder for healthy people and places, said: “This investment will make sure our young people have better play spaces they can grow and develop in, fit for the twenty first century.

“Children have had a difficult couple of years and it’s even more important that they have the facilities they need to get outside, use their imaginations, make friends and make some lifelong memories.

GALLERY: Mayor officially opens Lister Park's refurbished play area

“Play is an important part of ensuring children have a happy and healthy childhood. It helps them development socially as well as in terms of dexterity, balance and muscle control – which is why this investment in our playable spaces is so important.”

The play spaces receiving investment in this phase:

Destination/Green Flag and/or town centre play areas

• Riverside Park, Ilkley

• Central Park, Haworth

• Cliffe Castle / Devonshire Park, Keighley

• St Ives Estate, Bingley

• Roberts Park, Shipley

• Peel Park, Bradford

• Harold Park, Low Moor

Local/neighbourhood play areas

• Myrtle Park, Bingley

• Russell Hall Park, Queensbury

• Eversley Drive, Holme Wood

• Brackenhill Park, Great Horton

• Victoria Park, Clayton

• Horton Park

• Bradford Moor Park

• Eldwick Recreation Ground

• Highfield Recreation Ground, Keighley

• Windy Hill Park (Recreation Ground), Shipley

• Upper Seymour Street, off Leeds Road

• Ravenscliffe Community Centre Play Area,

• Amberley Street Play Area, Barkerend

"Doorstep" play area refurbishments

• Jerr Wood Play Area, Bingley

• Litton Street, Keighley

• Longlands Farm, Keighley

• Back Derby Place, Bradford East

• Woodlands Play Area, Bradford South

Urgent and minor urgent refurbishment

• Utley Recreation Ground

• Springwood (Parkwood) Street, Keighley

• Northcliffe Park, Shipley

• Cliffe Avenue Play Area trim trail, Baildon

• Middleton Avenue skate park, Ilkley

• Eccleshill Park skate park

• Teen shelter at Holden Park, Oakworth