Twelve play areas in a town’s parks are to be upgraded “with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity”.
Taunton Town Council agreed a £1.2m budget for the work to be carried out over five years.
“This investment reflects our commitment to giving all children safe, inspiring places to play,” said councillor Nick O’Donnell, chair of its operations and assets committee.
The council hopes some of the funding will come from contributions housing developers make to community facilities, as part of planning permission agreements.
The council added other funding would come from £150,000 of interest earned on the authority’s invested funds and it is also bidding for National Lottery money.
Councillors voted for Kompan Limited to be their preferred contractor to deliver the schemes, and said the company was “widely recognised for delivering high-quality, inclusive and imaginative play spaces”.
O’Donnell said when the town council was formed in 2023 it inherited the 12 playparks “many of which had not been updated for some time”.
“Rather than upgrading equipment in a piecemeal way, we opted for a holistic approach, with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring our play areas are improved consistently and thoughtfully across the town for the benefit of the widest possible range of users,” he said.
Work on the designs will begin in the coming months and include a public consultation, the council said.
