Maidenhead & Windsor

Larchfield's popular Desborough Park, Maidenhead is undergoing a springtime improvement programme, providing new opportunities for local people of all ages to enjoy the leisure facilities.

The improvements follow a widespread consultation with residents, young people, youth workers and community wardens to find out how they felt the Maidenhead park should be overhauled to best cater for their different needs – and the improvements reflect their highest priorities.

Work has now started on the five-week contract which will see the installation of two multi-games areas, with new goals, basketball hoops and graduated fencing to keep balls in – and dogs out! As well as football and basketball, the areas will be suitable for cricket. There will also be an adjacent youth meeting point to provide a sheltered area where young people can get together.

Further Maidenhead improvements later this year will include the planting of more than 20 trees and come next spring the park will be a blaze of colour, thanks to more than 2,000 bulbs to be planted by local children during the autumn. There are also plans to return the old and dilapidated tennis courts to grass for everyone to enjoy.

Maidenhead Cllr Richard Fagence, lead member for leisure and cultural services, said he was delighted that improvements to Desborough Park were now forging ahead.

He said: "Desborough Park is a focal point in the Larchfield area of Maidenhead and very well used by local people of all ages. We have had a useful and productive consultation with park users, residents, community wardens and youth workers and I would like to thank them for their very helpful comments. We have used their priorities as our guide for what should be included in the improvement programme."

The current work on Desborough Park, entirely funded by Section 106 contributions from developments in the area, will be completed in time for the school holidays when two of the council's youth team will be there every weekday between 11am and 4pm to run football and basketball sessions as part of the borough's 13-19 summer programme.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead