PARENTS keen to see their children enjoying the fresh air have called on the council to make improvements to a popular play park.

The Hesketh Crescent play area in Old Town was refurbished in 2016, but residents who live nearby have claimed it looks “a little sorry for itself” and feel there should be more playing equipment.

Old Town councillor Nadine Watts said: “Hesketh Crescent is the one play area that I get asked about the most. Residents had a long wait for it to be refurbished and were disappointed with the results.

“The play value definitely needs to be increased, particularly for the younger children. This play area has a lot of potential and it would be good to make the most of it.”

A consultation on the refurbishment of the play area took place in 2014 and work started at the end of 2015 and opened October 2016. The opening was delayed when the contractor went into administration.

Mother-of-three Sandi Maguire, 34, who regularly takes her children to the play area, said she thought that more could definitely be done to make it more attractive.

“If they installed a few more pieces of equipment and made it all a bit more colourful, I think that would be really positive.”

All the play areas in Old Town and East Wichel are to be transferred from Swindon Borough Council to the South Swindon Parish Council, it is hoped, by April.

Coun Watts and Coun Jane Milner-Barry, both of whom sit on the South Swindon Parish Council, have asked for the Hesketh Crescent play area to be made a top priority in Old Town and have also requested some additional parish funding on completion of the transfer.

Coun Watts said, “It is good to be able to push for this as a ward and also a parish councillor.”

Councillor Mary Martin, the borough council’s cabinet member for communities and place, said: “The Hesketh play area will be transferred to the Central Swindon South Parish Council and I am delighted that the parish is working in partnership with the borough to provide specific localised services such as play areas.

“I will be working with officers to ensure that the transfer is completed quickly, when I am sure all residents and ward councillors will look forward to seeing what the parish has planned for it.”