Tender for £100,000 refurbishment of Merriman Park playground in Street set to be decided

The successful bid for the £100,000 refurbishment of Street's Merriman Park playground will be decided next week.

Street Parish Council is staging a virtual extraordinary meeting on Tuesday (July 28) to select the winning tender for the play area make-over.

The closing date for companies to bid for the tender is today (July 22).

The parish council wants to enlarge the play area "giving maximum opportunities for children to be as active and inclusive as possible", with equipment suitable for youngsters up to the age of 11.

Safety surfacing for the entire play area, fencing and gates, along with seats and bins, are also to be installed.

According to the tender document: "The area [is] to look as bright and attractive as possible; and existing trees to be combined into the design."

The new-look play area is to include:

- a multi-play tower for older children

- a play den for younger children

- a seesaw "for as many children as appropriate"

- small equipment to add various kinds of play opportunities

Parish councillor Peter Goater told Street Nub News: "This is an exciting scheme for the village's children and part of the ongoing improvement project at Merriman Park.

"The parish council has had £50,000 set aside for the play area refurbishment for some years and thanks to match funding by a charity we can now undertake the work."

The parish council has specified that the play equipment should not be wooden and that the revamp should be completed by October 2.

The successful company will also have to remove and dispose of all the old play area equipment and fencing.