Quacking stuff – new Clapton Pond play area fits the bill
Families in Clapton are benefitting from a brand new play area after a £60,000 investment by Hackney Council to deliver the facilities local people wanted.
The play area, in Clapton Pond, boasts several exciting features such as new landscaping, a playground tunnel, and a large playable wooden bird, which has replaced the older equipment.
Residents are also able to enjoy more seating options alongside new stumps and boulders providing more active play opportunities.
Local park users, residents and children were consulted on design proposals to improve the play area between February and April 2021. The final design for the play area was reviewed and changes made using feedback received, in collaboration with the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group and the Council’s Parks and Green Spaces team.
I took on political responsibility for Hackney’s parks and green spaces last February, around the time this consultation began. It’s been a real joy to see the outcome of such a positive collaboration in Clapton Pond and to engage in improvements we’re making to other play areas across the borough.
Outdoor play remains vital for children’s physical, mental and emotional health. This is a great new play area for the local community and I hope that it becomes a much-loved and well-used part of Clapton Pond.
I’m proud that as part of our mission to make Hackney a child-friendly borough, we are investing in play facilities like this so that children and families can have excellent local facilities on their doorstep – regardless of their income or background.
The Clapton Pond play area improvements are part of the Council’s £2million investment to improve a number of play areas across Hackney so they are more fun and exciting for children, with further work due to start in Butterfield Green, Clapton Square, Haggerston Park and Stoke Newington Common this spring.
Consultations on the next phase of play area improvements across Hackney are now open. Have your say on design proposals for Clapton Common, Hackney Downs, Well Street Common and Stonebridge Gardens (Snake Park) by 31 March 2022. Find out more on the Playgrounds page.
The investments are part of the Council’s strategy to create a more child-friendly borough, which also includes dedicated planning rules, and the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and School Streets.