New play area at City Recreation Ground in Newbury as revamp is completed

Play and fitness equipment, a new path and a MUGA have been installed

A NEW pathway made of recycled rubber now surrounds the refurbished City Recreation Ground in Newbury.

Additional play equipment and a new MUGA (multi-use games area), as well as fitness equipment and distance markers have also been added during the revamp.

“The major work has been completed now and all the feedback we have had has been really positive,” said Martin Colston, leader of Newbury Town Council, which looks after the park.

“We are really pleased with the new rubberised path and there is also a new MUGA , with a basketball hoop and goal, which were moved from the park at Skyllings, when that was completely redone recently.

“We have been upgrading a number of our play parks and we are really pleased to have been able to complete this.”

The work was all paid for through CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) funding, which comes from developer contributions and means it has been achieved at no cost to the tax payer.

The majority of the work was completed at the end of last year, with the installation of a drinking water fountain by the changing room the only thing left to finish.

Mr Colston said that the council’s “next big project” would be looking at the facilities at Wash Common and a consultation on what they could do there would be launched in the spring.

He added: “Our ambition is to make some improvements there and to get Green Flag status for that park, as well as for City Recreation Ground.”