Villagers help to fund play area

The small community of Stanley Crook pulled together to raise £46,432 to provide somewhere safe for the village children to play.

The village has been without a play area for some time, which prompted Stanley Crook Village Association to seek help from Groundwork West Durham and Wear Valley District Council in order to build a new one.

The end result will be a haven for young people and children, with play equipment for toddlers and a small area for skaters.

Work on the play area is almost complete with the toddlers play equipment in place along with a small double ramp and two grind rails for skaters.

An area for natural wetland and wildlife, as well as seating, has also been designated.

The existing football pitch on the recreation ground at Jobson Terrace will remain.

Wear Valley District Council was given an update of the plans at a meeting of its regeneration committee last night.

Senior engineering officer Peter Dunn said: "The local community has been protesting because of an absence of play equipment in the village and officers of the council and Groundwork West Durham have been exploring avenues to provide new play facilities within the recreation ground.''

It will be the last park that is given the go ahead by the council until it has done a health check on the remaining parks in the district which it is responsible for.

The council is having to reassess where parks are built and how they will be maintained in the future because of rising costs in maintainence and insurance.

An application by villagers in Stanhope to fund and build their own park was turned down after the council said it would not have the funding to maintain it and there was already another playground 400 yards away.

Mr Dunn said: "Initial approval was granted for Stanley Crook in January this year in order to develop the project in detail and this was prior to the moratorium on the provision of new play facilities currently in operation.''