Rylands Road play park in Kennington opens after £340k makeover

A run-down play park has been given a £340,000 makeover featuring trampolines, swings and climbing frames.

The equipment has been installed in Rylands Road, Kennington, as part of Ashford Borough Council's £1.1m 'playground regeneration programme'.

The work was due to be completed in December but the park, which now includes a multi-play unit for toddlers, officially opened yesterday.

For years, the Rylands Road Park Renovation Group has raised cash to help fund the works, which have already seen an outdoor gym installed at the site.

The design of the park is the result of a public consultation held with residents, ward members, the Renovation Group and Kennington Community Council.

The project also features springers, a teacup, a disability friendly roundabout and a range of different swings for all age groups and abilities.

There are also new benches and picnic tables in the play zones.

While the play area is complete, work to create a new multi-use games area is set to start in the coming weeks along with new cycle racks.

The final parts are expected to be finished in spring.

Rylands Road is one of four play areas to benefit from funding after the council's regeneration scheme was approved in 2021.

The first play park to be completed was Hunter Avenue in Willesborough.

Equipment costing £180,000 was installed and the play area opened last spring.

The next was Central Park in Park Farm, where new equipment costing £400,000 was installed and the park opened in November.

The final play area to be upgraded is Spearpoint Recreation Ground in Kennington which is currently being built.

Once finished, the £360,000 upgrades will include a play tower, a jungle dome and pendulum swing.