Berwick Sports and Leisure Centre car park and play park complete

The new car park, which is free of charge, now provides a total of 182 spaces – including 14 new electric vehicle charging points, 11 accessible bays and six parent and family parking spaces.

As well as a new rubber safety surface, the play park at the side of the centre contains swings, including a basket swing, a wheelchair accessible roundabout, a mounted spring play vehicle, a toddler hamlet complete with tunnels, rope climbs and a slide.

Active Northumberland manages and operates the centre on behalf of Northumberland County Council, while the play park will be managed in future by Berwick-upon-Tweed Town Council.

Coun Jeff Watson, the county council’s cabinet member with responsibility for promoting healthy lives, said: “While the sports centre building was completed in January 2022, over recent months a phased schedule of work has been underway to increase car parking capacity at the centre, to landscape the site with trees and shrubs and create the play park.

“The addition of a free play park for younger children is a great addition to the site, which will be enjoyed by many families for years to come.”

Coun John Robertson, Mayor of Berwick, said: “The town council is delighted to accept the handover of this brand new facility from Active Northumberland.

“The play equipment is specifically targeted at five to 11-year-olds and will in some way compensate the community for the closure of Grove Gardens South.”