Forres residents to vote on Mannachie play equipment
Design options are available for play equipment at Mannachie Park in Forres with the community being asked to choose their favourite one.
Three designs are in the running after the community was consulted by Moray Council, who also visited schools to gather the views of younger people.
A zip line, climbing frames, roundabout, and agility trail were among the top preferences.
Moray Council now needs residents to vote to choose the best design – voting is open online for a limited time or can be done in person at Forres Library until Saturday 2 September.
The £70,000 funding for the scheme comes from the Council’s capital programme and the designs were developed through participatory budgeting.
Participatory budgeting allows local people to shape spend to best meet local need, in this case through informing the design and influencing what’s included in the play park.
A steering group, supported by the Forres Area Forum and Forres Community Council, added £15k to the project budget after submitting a successful funding application to the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund.
The park’s toddler area will be expanded in the scheme’s next phase.
Cllr Marc Macrae, Chair of Moray Council’s Economic Development & Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “Our play areas are being designed hand-in-hand with communities who are giving crucial input into the design and funding of these projects.
“This will be fantastic for the young people of Forres. We really want to upgrade all of our play parks, but as resources are tight, we need to do this in a phased and strategic way based on priority.”