WORK has started on creating a new £250,000 play area for Northlands Park in Basildon that will offer more than 40 different play elements and includes varied equipment that will allow around 200 children to play together.

Alongside the play area will be a new ball court for football and basketball, an outdoor gym, as well as other ball games.

The play area preceeds a new skatepark for the park which will come later this year, and follows recent improvements including resurfaced footpaths, a newly built bridge around the lake, and over a dozen new angling swims.

As well as the park's facilities, there are also a number of events for the local community that take place there on a regular basis, such as Park Run and ParkPlay every Saturday morning and Achieve Thrive Flourish's weekly timetable of activities.

Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing, Leisure, Arts, and Culture, Cllr Jeff Henry said: "Northlands Park is a fantastic park and one that we've invested heavily in over the past two years, and this new play area will only make it even better for residents.

"The variety of play options with the ball games zone as well as the diverse play area will mean our youngsters are spoilt for choice.

 "I can't wait for the new play area to be open and to see how much it will be enjoyed by the children and families of our borough."

 The existing play area at Northlands Park will be closed whilst construction works take place, with the new one expected to be open in March.

 It comes in year two of Basildon Council's Play Review, a ten-year programme of approximately £9 million investment in the borough's play areas.