WELLINGTON and Rockwell Green are to get a £100,000 boost to their recreational facilities – thanks to developers of housing at Westford, Payton Road, under a planning agreement.

The facilities include outdoor gym equipment, a basketball court, outdoor table tennis tables, a petanque court – French boules game – and skate park lighting. They will be provided at Dobree Park in Rockwell Green, Wellington Recreation Ground, by the sports centre, Howard Road and Wellington Playing Field – a petanque court is estimated to cost around £10,000. 

Wellington Town Council was asked for its views on the options at its November meeting by Taunton Deane community leisure manager Alison North and community leisure officer Debbie Arscott, who reported that they had already consulted ward councillors, Wellington Voice, the University of the Third Age, skate park users and Greenway Road, Rockwell Green Youth Group.

Town councillors agreed to support the petanque court, skate park lighting (£25,000), outdoor table tennis tables (£4,000), outdoor gym equipment (£18,000) and  basketball court (£15,000), both at the recreation ground, picnic benches and seating (£4,000), plus a storage container (£4,000) for the Greenway Road youth group to store equipment for works and sport. These items add up to £81,000, leaving £19,000 unspent.

This has to be spent by May 2017 otherwise it will have to be returned to the developers. One other option was for a fenced multi-use games area at the recreation ground or sports centre (£110,000) but this could not be provided out of the £100,000 available so it was agreed to hold this over until more money was available from other housing developments in the town.