Ambitious plans for a colourful new play park featuring new climbing frames, a sand pit and twin flying foxes have been unveiled.
The £300,000 park will be built at Aden Country Park as part of a wider scheme to make the spot, near Mintlaw, even more attractive to visitors.
Heritage Lottery Funding granted £2.13m for the restoration and redevelopment of the country park last year, but the play area required further funding before the plans could progress.
Now that it has been secured. Aberdeenshire Council has released a picture showing how the play zone will look.
With a pentagon of swings, twin flying foxes, an all accessible sand pit and several climbing frames, the area will be transformed into an improved place for children, young people and families to spend time.
Aberdeenshire Council last night thanked Wren, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage schemes, for supporting the project.
The donation of £49,490 will be used to purchase a range of new child’s play equipment aimed at developing an accessible play area for children of all ages and abilities.
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Councillor Norman Smith, chairman of the Buchan area committee said: “This project will provide a real boost to the people of Aberdeenshire.
“It’s fantastic that Wren has awarded us this money and we’re really looking forward to our children’s play area taking shape over the next few months.”
Other donations from local businesses and organisations are also being used for the project.
The total cost for the play park is £299,414.
As well as landscaping various areas at the site, this includes purchase and installation of the colourful play equipment.
A community consultation over the past few years identified the need to improve children’s play areas at Aden.
This led to the application by the council’s Aden project team for the Wren financial support.
Wren grant manager, Sophie Cade said: “We are always pleased to support community play projects.
“The popularity of Aden Country Park means the new play developments will benefit not only local families but those visiting from further afield too.”
The ambition is to have the new play area ready to use by August this year.
