Belfast City Council has said it “hopes to open” the popular adventure playground in the grounds of the Belfast Castle in ‘late spring’ after being questioned on the length of its closure by the North Belfast News. The Cave Hill Adventurous Playground has been closed for refurbishment since last November and it was hoped by local parents that it would have reopened, at least, in time for the Easter holidays.
In recent weeks NBN readers have contacted the paper to express their concern about the extended closure, with signs at the park saying it would reopen in ‘Spring 2012’.
One texter to NBN said they have repeatedly visited the playground in recent weeks in the hope that it might be reopened.
“The sign on the entrance gate says ‘Opening Spring 2012’. It’s now spring and it’s still closed,” they said. “I've made three visits in the last month and haven’t been able to see a single maintenance engineer on site carrying out any work. Perhaps they are all needed at the grand opening of the Titanic project?”
The work on the park is being carried out to update 20-year-old infrastructure, including the railway sleepers and paths and walkways surrounding the playground. New playground equipment will also be installed including an aerial runway, a climbing frame, swings, rockers and a multi-play unit and pathways will also be resurfaced.
A council spokesman said the new equipment will cost in the region of £33,000, in addition to installation and infrastructure works.