Issued: 4 October 2012
West Links Play Area Opens
The West Links Play area in Arbroath is officially opened today by Angus Provost Helen Oswald, assisted by local children.
Much of the play equipment has been chosen by children from Arbroath primary and secondary schools.
Provost Oswald said: “I am delighted to be opening this play area which has been imaginatively designed to provide much fun for local children as well as enhancing the visitor experience for families visiting the Arbroath area. I am sure that children of all ages will enjoy the many interesting and unusual play features.”
The play area is divided into an adventure play area for children aged six and older, an area with units for toddlers, and a section for all ages. Play equipment is mostly made of timber and stainless steel.
The theme for the play area is family games and board games, and includes playing card designs on benches, colourful dice and Ludo sculptures within the play area, and picnic tables sitting on a chess board.
The rubber safety surface area with a jigsaw puzzle design is designed to be easily accessible for everyone, and has been landscaped along one side onto an embankment to provide play opportunities on the slope. The other side is moulded into contours and dips, which also provide informal seating. A further feature of the play area is a climbing wall resembling a section of the Seaton cliffs, and three colourful walls act as wind screens.
Ten carved timber sculptures sit at the entrances to the park depicting characters from the Alice in Wonderland books. All sculptures have a tiny mouse carved onto them and children can follow the trail round the entrances to see if they can spot them all.
The play area was created at a cost of £490,148.58 and contractor was Covanburn Contracts Ltd. The sculptures and the boundary fencing were funded by a grant from the Scottish Enterprise SET Development Fund.