CHILDREN in Tow Law can look forward to a future of exciting outdoor adventures as the first phase of a play park project gets the go ahead.

This week, Tow Law Town Council backed the final plans for a £34,000 early year’s play area on Millennium Green behind the doctor’s surgery.

Two years in the pipeline, the play area is aimed at youngsters aged five and under and will feature equipment designed to stimulate their imaginations and assist with development.

Funding has already been secured from section 106 money and the Three Towns Area Action Partnership, including £7,167 from the area budget and £4,273 from County Councillor John Hart’s neighbourhood budget.

Once complete, the town council will move onto phase two and introduce equipment for older children.

At a meeting in Tow Law Community Centre on Tuesday, Councillor Hart presented the final two designs for the play area.

Opinion differed among the councillors over which design was the most appropriate, with chairman Councillor Jeff Gale expressing concerns that a tunnel could attract anti-social youths.

New councillor Ashleigh Lamb, however, said the tunnel was one of the most exciting parts of the scheme and reasoned that people were just as likely to gather under the slide.

Councillor Ron Grogan voiced fears the play equipment could be vandalised and questioned whether it was the best use of money.

“Over the last 29 years we’ve had all kinds of things for kids and they get vandalised every time,” he added.

Councillor Michelle Hird said they could not let fear of vandalism stop the council making improvements.

“It is likely something will get done to it and if it does we will just have to fix it,” she said.

“If something gets graffiti sprayed on it, we will repaint it. If something gets broken beyond repair, we will try to replace it.”

Councillor Lamb suggested youngsters could bring their older siblings along to the opening to help develop a sense of ownership.

She continued: “The council gave us money where I used to live to build a park and we invited all of the local children aged ten and older to help us plant flowers. The park was never touched. The children were so proud of the work they had done.”

The majority of councillors voted to progress the scheme and the town council will now consider which design is the most appropriate before ordering the equipment.