THE NEW play park for children in Newman Collard Playing Field has been officially opened.

East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds opened the play park last Friday.

The Newman Collard Playing Field Trust (NCPFT) in Liss had secured a £75,000 grant towards the replacement of the play equipment.

The money came from Biffa Award, a multi-million pound fund which helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK as part of the Landfill Communities Fund.

With additional funding from Liss Parish Council, the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) and Hampshire Playing Fields Association (HPFA), the project replaced existing equipment which was 30 years old, tired and reaching the end of its life with a new park containing the latest equipment.

The new park has been designed to be accessible and multi-functional.

Responding to feedback from children, the park includes a wide range of equipment to promote imaginative play.

The NCPFT wanted to cater for children of all ages and abilities, and the park’s layout has been specifically designed to encourage a high level of social inter-action.

Liss Parish Council chairman Roger Hargreaves said: “I’m delighted that as a council we have been able to part-fund this exciting re-development and help provide this fantastic new equipment for our residents.”

Also opened last Friday were three new items of equipment on the adjoining field.

The three items are a track rider, a supernova and a five-way swing, and they are aimed at older children.

The project for the three new items of equipment was funded by the SDNPA.