Park Lane play area is no longer for sale

FRODSHAM Town Council’s controversial proposal to sell the Park Lane play area for housing development has been put on hold.
Members of the council have decided to take the property off the market – to give local campaigners time to raise funding for an outdoor gym on the site.
Campaign group the Friends of John Williamson have drawn up plans for the outdoor gym and have won the support of Halton and Frodsham Harriers, doctors at The Knoll Surgery, Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans and Active Cheshire.
Councillors agreed to take the play area off the market after hearing that the campaign group could not apply for grants to finance the project as long as the site was up for sale.
The then Frodsham Parish Council purchased the play area for £50 in 1939 for “recreational purposes”  In 2014, the Town Council decided to sell the land but after an uproar from local residents agreed to “freeze” the exchange of contracts.
Subsequently they decided to “unfreeze” the deal but in the meantime the prospective purchaser withdrew. The site remained on the market but the council asked the campaign group to come up with ideas.
The Friends of John Williamson – named in memory of a founder member who died tragically shortly after the campaign started – have now come up with proposals for the outdoor gym costing £24,681, excluding VAT, fees and contingencies.
They have also suggested the play area be re-named Queen’s Park, in recognition of the Queen’s 90th birthday this year.
The proposals would retain existing children’s play equipment and would also include a war memorial – although these are not included in the forecast costs.
Cllr Frank Pennington said it was the first time he could recall members of the public coming forward with such a scheme and being prepared to enter into a relationship with the council. He saw it as a golden opportunity for the council.
The council agreed to take the site off the market and to set up a working group to work with the campaigners on the proposals and the council’s general recreation strategy.