PLANS for a massive adventure playground in Wisbech were given the thumbs-up by Cambridgeshire County Council yesterday (Thursday). The playground – to be built on open space of Waterlees Road – will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and alleviate the

PLANS for a massive adventure playground in Wisbech were given the thumbs-up by Cambridgeshire County Council yesterday (Thursday).

The playground - to be built on open space of Waterlees Road - will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and alleviate the "play deprivation" of the area.

It will include a 11.5 metre pyramid tower with two slides attached; a 40-metre double cableway; a barge shaped building for toilets, office and indoor play; a fire pit to provide an area for children to make fires within the supervised playground; a tree house; numerous other play equipment including water and sand play areas; and a fitness trail.

The county council's Development Control Committee approved the scheme at its meeting yesterday.

Councillors were told the adventure playground "will be dedicated solely to supervised children's improvised play".

The playground will be bordered by a weld mesh fence, more than three metres high.

Landscaping will provide screening to the neighbouring properties in Ollard Avenue, who have rear gardens facing the playground, with some trees expected to grow to 16 metres.

The remainder of the area around the adventure playground is intended to stay open for recreational use; with football posts being erected on site. Two car parking spaces will be provided for staff

An environmental health officer from Fenland District Council warned of "a potential for an increase in anti-social behaviour associated with unauthorised use, therefore unsupervised use, of the facility".

Ten letters of objection and a 145-signature petition were also sent to the county council, alongside a list of 200 signatures that supported the scheme "in principal.