Ballymena play area gets £120k facelift
Young people in Ballymena rejoiced at the weekend following the long-awaited reopening of the town’s play area at People’s Park.
The facility closed last year amid health and safety concerns after some wooden panels rotted, and there was disappointment that there was no senior play area was available for children over the summer months.
However, brand new and modern equipment has been installed at a cost of £120,000, representing the first phase of work to regenerate the play area.
School children from Ballymena and Castle Tower were the first to try out the new equipment on Friday.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Maureen Morrow, said: “The People’s Park is exactly that - a place for people. It is heart-warming to see children of all abilities coming together and enjoying the facilities on offer.”
The facility was previously targeted by vandals who caused £65,00 worth of fire damage in 2017.
And the local authority has confirmed that there was an unsuccessful attempt to cause damage to the new play equipment over the summer.
Next year will see People’s park turn 150 years old with further plans in the pipeline to make it a destination park.