MP welcomes 'Major step forward' on Hallgarth play area

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has welcomed the 'massive step forward' in the long running campaign to bring back the play equipment to the Hallgarth estate in Kendal. Tim has thanked local councillor Matthew Severn for all of his hard work on the issue.

The council has put the scheme to rebuild the play area out to tender. The proposed competition date is March 2015.

Hallgarth Recreation Ground is the open space between the Housing Association estate on Acre Moss Lane and Overdale Road and the older District Council estate of Hallgarth. A MUGA was installed approximately 2 years ago, prior to that a teenage shelter was also installed but, according to the council, this was removed due to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

After the equipment was removed, Tim pledged to work to bring the play area to the estate. Matthew Severn has made sure that the final design must be produced in consultation with local youth and community groups, to ensure they are engaged with the procedure and have ownership of the finished project.

Thanks to the hard work of Councillor Matthew Severn the budget available for this project is £60,000. The bulk of the funding is from the New Homes Bonus and funding was also secured from Kendal Town Council. The campaign originally planned to try and fundraise £20,000 for the project

South Lakeland District councillor for Hallgarth Matthew Severn said: "It's really great that at last, after much campaigning from the local community, Tim Farron and myself the children, young people and families of Hallgarth will be getting their play area back and it will be better than ever!"

Tim added: "I want to thank Matthew for all his work on this. I am delighted that we have taken a major step forward in this long running campaign. On my regular visits to the estate people always mention the play area. I am delighted we have secured nearly triple the original target. But we won't stop working and pushing until work starts on the site and a valuable community asset is back on the estate."