A new play area and outdoor gym have been installed in King’s Walk Green Space in Mansfield.

The equipment, costing £120,000, represents one of the most significant investments to play facilities in the Mansfield district in recent years,

Eight pieces of play equipment and ten pieces of outdoor gym equipment have been installed at the recently created park. In addition, for the first time in more than a decade, the equipment is made of timber in order to blend in better with the naturalised environment of King’s Walk Green Space, which is in a redeveloped former quarry.

The play area was installed after an extensive community consultation was carried out, which included asking children what kind of play equipment they would like to see.

Cllr Andrew Tristram, Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “This part of Mansfield was crying out for a play area and this is a fantastic facility, which looks great, too. It is the first time we have installed timber framed equipment for quite a while.

“If it encourages more children to get outside and play, and encourages more adults to get outside to get fit, that has to be a good thing for families in the area.”

The play area and outdoor gym have been installed as a result of an agreement drawn up when the land around the open space was developed for housing by Taylor Wimpey. As part of the planning agreement for those homes, the developers agreed to put a certain amount of money aside for the development and enhancement of green spaces – known as a Section 106 agreement.

The council had £190,000 to spend on such projects and chose to spend most of it on improvements to King’s Walk Green Space because homes in this area were most in need of facilities that were closer than those to be found at King George V Park and Racecourse Park.

Mansfield District Council now owns King’s Walk Green Space and will be responsible for the ongoing care and maintenance of it and the equipment there.

The remaining £70,000 of the Section 106 money has been spent on eight pieces of outdoor gym equipment at Racecourse Park and some new toddler and older children’s play equipment at King George V Park.