IMPROVEMENT works are starting at Branksome Recreation Ground this month.

The £150,000 project will see the size of the play area increase, with room for new equipment, along with new boundary fencing along Alder Road up to the car park, extra benches, and wider paths to prevent flooding.

The play area will remain closed until the works are complete, and paths will be closed for periods when necessary.

The project has involved Poole council working in partnership with Poole Communities Trust at the Branksome Centre, The Friends of Branksome Rec and Branksome West Residents Association. Ward councillors, Heatherlands School and local residents have also supported the work.

Branksome Rec is the only significant public open space for residents of east Poole. The council says the project to improve the area will benefit 38,000 local residents and will also create opportunities for volunteering.

The rec has experienced major problems with flooding throughout the year, and paths have become impassable.

There are very few benches in the area and the current ones have outlasted their predicted life span, according to Poole council.

“Poor location, lack of proximity to paths and pooling water make the current ones unusable by most and inaccessible to all,” a borough spokesperson said.

The current play facilities at Branksome Rec have been deemed not fit for purpose, and the playground is “too small with old and unsuitable equipment”, the council says.

The spokesperson added: “The area around and between the playground and community centre is unwelcoming, with unnecessary fencing and poor quality surfacing.

“There is no direct route into the community centre from the playground, which means children must go out on to the road to access the toilets and café located there. The centre currently feels very separate to the park.”

The council’s goal is to create a “larger, more open, attractive and user friendly area incorporating all the available facilities, thus drawing the community centre into the heart of the park”.

“The ultimate aim is to provide a well functioning community hub which, with additional volunteering opportunities, will encourage local residents to become involved and develop a sense of ownership of the whole space,” the spokesperson said.

To find out more about the project visit https://pooleprojects.net/branksome-rec-2018/