Runnymede Mayor opens new Egham park

Jun 19 2009 By Russell Butt

A REDEVELOPED park which is hoped will become the heart of a community was officially opened last week.

Mayor of Runnymede, Councillor Paul Tuley cut the ribbon to officially mark the opening of the Hythe Park on Thursday, June 18, and was joined by children from the Hythe Primary School and the Magna Carta School who were on-hand to test drive the new facilities.

The 4.6 hectare park, off Rowan Avenue, Egham Hythe, is the former-site of the Swan Sanctuary which relocated to Shepperton in 2005.
The redevelopment provided a great opportunity to address the shortage of facilities for young people in Egham Hythe.

The re-vamp cost a total of £616k, the majority coming from Runnymede Borough Council. The park now has a range of recreation and leisure facilities suitable for all ages, including an adventure play area, wetland area, multi use games area and large grassed recreational space, all of which was installed after consultation with local residents to see what they wanted in their green space.

The multi use games area can be used for basketball and football and along with the adventure play area was funded by the Big Lottery. The Toddlers Play Area with climbing frame, swings and roundabout was funded by Biffa.

Pupils from Hythe Primary School made the most of the opening event by orienteering around the park, while pupils from Magna Carta School tried out the equipment in the new adventure play area.

Cllr Tuley said: “The park provides children with a safe play facility within easy reach of their homes. We are extremely grateful to all those who worked long and hard to make this area into a wonderful park.

“It has taken a number of years to be completed and it has been due to the commitment from the local community, Runnymede Borough Council, and the funding from the Big Lottery, SITA Trust and Biffa with the help from the Association for the Improvement of Runnymede."

The new wooded area is part of a wider regeneration scheme in the Egham Hythe Ward, helped by funding from SITA Trust used to build an exciting wet and dry marsh land environmental area.

Chairman of the Friends of Hythe Park, Martyn Nicholas, said: “We are extremely pleased and grateful to SITA Trust for their support and to AIR for all their work in securing the grant."