HOPES of enhancing play parks in a Christchurch ward appear to have failed to materialise.

The North Highcliffe & Walkford ward was the only area of the borough not to be included in major council plans to improve facilities

In July councillors agreed to fund a £1.2m project to enhance play provision across Christchurch.

At the time ward members Cllr Nick Geary and Cllr Sally Derham Wilkes questioned whether all available avenues had been explored in delivering improvements for North Highcliffe & Walkford.

Following this meeting, councillors asked for officers to provide details on their efforts to improve the area’s play park facilities.

A report to tomorrow’s scrutiny committee meeting says five possible sites in the ward were explored by officers.

The locations identified – Rotherfield Road, Lakewood, Cranemoor Avenue, Hurst Close and Elphinstone Road – were deemed to not be viable for development.

Various reasons for this are listed in the report, from removing a natural habitat and safety concerns, to available space and impact on neighbouring properties.

The report says: “It is unfortunate that there are very few opportunities for sites in council ownership in the North Highcliffe & Walkford ward to be developed as larger destination sites for play.

“The ward councillors have worked closely with the officers over many years, and again recently as part of this project, to try to identify suitable sites without success.

“The ward members asked officers to promote the opportunities for natural play utilising the significant natural resources found in North Highcliffe & Walkford.”

The £1.2m play park scheme will see the council deliver 15 new or refurbished facilities across the borough. The local authority is also closing 11 smaller sites, which they say are used less frequently and in a poor condition.

North Highcliffe and Walkford currently has one play area, which Cllr Derham Wilkes described as a “very small underused” facility.

She said: “I’m very disappointed, yet again, the one thing in all the years I have been a councillor in that area I have been repeatedly asked for is a play area.”