Three pieces of electronic play equipment, that combine computer gaming with exercise, will be at the heart of a £103,000 play area at the Manor Centre in Whittlesey.
Councillors joined residents yesterday (Wednesday) for a turf-cutting ceremony.
The three high-tech games, called Space, Nova and Rocky, will allow children to join in up to 10 games. There is capacity to add more in future.
The area will also include more traditional items, such as swings, a cable zip wire, climbing wall and seating.
Construction starts in the spring and it should be ready for the summer holidays.
Funding has come from Fenland District Council (£20,000), Section 106 contributions (£28,000), Whittlesey Town Council (£10,000) and a £45,000 grant by WREN under the Landfill Communities Fund.
Those attending yesterday’s ceremony included Whittlesey councillor Gary Swan and resident Tammy Roan, who have been campaigning for a new play park for several years.
Cllr Swan said: “Whittlesey has been crying out for a really good play park for years and the old one at the Manor has never had any refurbishment.
“So it’s great to be getting this and we hope it’s something that people will be able to enjoy for years to come.”
Councillor Peter Murphy, FDC’s Cabinet member responsible for open spaces, said: “This is something completely different to anything in our other play areas. We’ve worked very closely with the town council and local people to come up with the sort of ultra-modern facilities that they’ve been asking for.
“That enabled us to put in a very strong funding bid to WREN and we’re delighted that they agreed to make such a generous contribution.”
Sarah Gosling, WREN’s grant manager, said: “The application for this project was very strong. There was an obvious need for really good play equipment in the area and this scheme is unique – it’s the first time we have funded an electronic play experience in the East of England.”
Steve Allison, from Kompan, the company providing the electronic equipment, said: “What this innovative approach will do is encourage more young people to be more active by enabling them to interact physically while gaming at the same time. That’s got to be good for their health.
“This is a flagship project for us that we hope will provide a benchmark for future play schemes in the area.”
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