New children’s play area in Lache officially opened

A new children’s play area in Sycamore Park, Lache has been officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony and family fun day activities.

The play area includes a larger infant/junior/12+ years play space, a broad range of new equipment, with a showpiece multi-climbing unit, zip wire, creative play and specially designed pieces which are accessible for disabled children to play alongside their peers.

The official opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and family fun activities in the park including large outdoor games, sports day races and bike marking, as well as refreshments.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Workforce, Democracy and Community, Councillor Paul Donovan said:

“It’s been a wonderful day celebrating the official opening of this exciting, extensively refurbished play area.

“The new play space evolved from input with local children, schools, community groups and residents, and a number of organisations who agreed to co-fund a specific piece to make this the fantastic facility that we see here today –I’d really like to extend a big thank you to everyone involved.”

The scheme, is one of the four projects which form the Lache Action plan endorsed by the Council in November 2023, following extensive community consultation and was made possible using Council funding, developer contributions and funding from several private trusts, including Ursula Keys Trust, Michie Family Charitable Trust and Chester Bluecoat Charity, as part of a Spacehive campaign led by Friends of Lache.

Councillor Donovan continued:

“The consultation highlighted just how much local children placed on importance of accessible play – and their desire to have pieces of equipment where all children can play together.

“The emerging design was supported by the national social enterprise Plan Inclusive Play Areas (PiPA) who helped advise on how best to incorporate inclusive play into the final design as well as by Cheshire Police and the Council’s Community Safety Wardens.”

Works to new play facilities began in April 2024 and also include new seating, landscaping and pathway improvements, complementing the existing multi-games area and junior football goals and skateboard area.

Pictured - The official opening of the new play area at Sycamore Fields Park in Lache by Lexie-Rose Phillips, with the Council’s Cabinet Member for Democracy, Workforce and Communities, Councillor Paul Donovan, and local ward member, Councillor Alex Tate.