LOUGHSIDE playground in North Belfast has reopened following redevelopment work by Belfast City Council.
It is one of three sites to be transformed through this year’s £580,0000 Playground Improvement Programme, with New Lodge playground and North Link playground also getting a makeover.
Since 2012, the programme has significantly improved the safety, quality and accessibility of outdoor play parks across Belfast, with all council-owned sites now achieving a ranking of ‘good quality’ or above.
The refurbishment work at Loughside, located off Shore Road, features the addition of more inclusive equipment, including an accessible trampoline, roundabout and multi-play unit, as well as upgraded safety surfacing, boundary fencing, site furniture and landscaping works.
Visiting the site, Councillor Micky Murray, Chair of the People and Communities Committee, said: "It’s great to see the revitalisation of spaces like Loughside, developing this valuable resource into more inclusive and welcoming space for children and families.
“Providing safe and high-quality play areas in local communities is important, and we're proud to deliver on that, with over £6 million invested into more than 50 of our sites during the last decade.”
Improvement works at North Link playground, in the west of the city, are currently underway and are expected to be completed by the end of April. Work at New Lodge playground will get underway in May.
