Improvements will be carried out at waterlogged and muddy children’s playground in Harborough

Urgent improvements are to be carried out to the popular children’s playground in a Market Harborough park after it’s become waterlogged and muddy.

Senior Harborough councillors are vowing to carry out the work at the well-used family attraction in Welland Park as well as at other youngsters’ play areas across the district.

The council is promising to install new paths and new play equipment as well as improve and overhaul drainage in a bid to make public play areas much more user-friendly.

Councillors are pledging to act after parents complained about the filthy state of the newly-revamped playground in Market Harborough’s Welland Park.

An angry young mum told the Harborough Mail: “It’s simply not good enough.

“A lot of mums and dads around here bring their little ones here to play – and they love it in all weathers.

“But the ground here is in a terrible condition.

“We all get up to the eyes in mud just walking through the gate to go into the playground in the first place before even getting to the equipment,” said the fuming local mum.

“I know that we had some rain last week.

“But for January and the start of February it’s been very dry.

“So there really is no excuse for this awful mess.”

Asked what the local authority were going to do, Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet lead on environment services, told the Mail: “Due to the recent heavy rain, some areas have unfortunately become waterlogged - we apologise that this has made the access points muddy.

“We will be undertaking improvements to the play area site, and others in the district, later in the year, including new paths, improved drainage and new play equipment which will significantly enhance this popular space for families.”