RESIDENTS are campaigning for a £30,000 facelift to a tired and forgotten park in Wickford.

The community is hoping improvements can be made to the children’s play area in Nevendon Park, Nevendon Road, which is said to have been left in the past.

Alan Ball, Independent councillor for Wickford, says he has been contacted by people in his ward who are hoping new equipment, flooring and paintwork can bring it back to life.

He said: “We were asked by residents if there’s a way of us upgrading the play equipment, which looks pretty tired to be honest – particularly with the chipped paintwork.”

“The floor needs relaying too as a point of urgency for safety reasons.

“There’s actually been a fair amount of work going on in the area. Dog bins and park benches have gone in there.

“The play equipment has just been forgotten to a certain extent, so it needs upgrading really.

“Not a lot of people know it’s there, and there’s a large area.

It’s quite a big park, quite a few football pitches are there and people walk their dogs over there too.

“It’s a park that can serve a range of people in the community.”

Michael Love, a welder, of Keats Way, says he regularly uses the park to take his niece and nephew to play.

Mr Love, 32, said: “It’s right on my doorstep, and it’s in a great location for a lots of families to take young kids.

“It could definitely do with a spruce up.

It’s a shame when things get left like that, and it would be nice if they could spent some money there and bring it up to scratch.”

Kevin Blake, Tory Basildon councillor responsible for leisure and the arts, says the authority’s budget, due to be set out next month, will determine whether the improvements can be made.

He said: “We’ve got the budget coming up, and we’ll then have a greater idea of what can and can’t be done there.

“We’ve had quite a few requests from members and will be assessing which ones are feasible and whether or not they come under our remit.

“Hopefully there’ll be a favourable outcome.”