A NEW children's play area is to be installed in Malvern before the end of the summer.

Michael Crescent is the venue for a new facility following several months of consultations with residents and children.

Seven companies were approached by Malvern Town Council to provide plans for the site, shown to the public at the Annual Town Meeting last month.

Children from Malvern Link CE Primary School were shown the plans and asked to mark their favourite parts of the designs with sticky dots.

Residents from Michael Crescent were also consulted on the plans and asked for their views.

The eventual winner of the contract was A S & A Leisure, which had the majority of the votes.

The winning design is fully fenced with self-closing gates to keep dogs out. Under each unit is a wet pour surface, which provides a softer surface should a child fall.

Nigel King, acting parks and amenities manager, said that the facility caters for broad age ranges, with cradle swings for the younger children and climbing walls and obstacle courses for the older ones.

Other features include ground graphics, swings, a multiplay unit, a slide, bins and talk tubes which allow children to talk to each other from opposite ends of the playground via an underground tube.

The existing swings will also be retained, although outside of the new fenced area.

All the equipment being installed meets European safety and Kitemark standards.

"The proposals have been inspected by an independent playground inspector," said Mr King. "They will be inspected once they are in place and every day by the town council. There will also be an annual inspection by an independent inspector.

"We've done everything we can to ensure children's safety."

Work will begin on the £40,000 facility next month and the town council hopes to have it finished by August. A similar facility is also due to be installed in Jamaica Crescent at the beginning of next year. A budget of £40,000 has been assigned to the project, which will allow for the same period of consultation as in Michael Crescent.