A new £140,000 water play facility for youngsters has opened at Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge.

It features water jets, cannons, a spray loop and a flower water feature. A toddler area with water jets and a smaller water feature has also been put in. It replaces the former splash play area at the park, which had been on the site for 18 years. 

Dudley Council has undertaken a recent programme of improvements at the Stourbridge park following a successful application for £2.6m of Heritage Lottery Fund money.

Savings made throughout the project meant there was cash left over to buy the new equipment and work got under way at the beginning of May to remove the existing play area. Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental services, said:

“This work was not part of the original Heritage Lottery Fund restoration programme, but families told us they wanted to see the water play area improved and, as a result of being prudent, we are delighted to have made it a reality.

“We are confident it will be particularly popular with families visiting the park when the sun is shining, and we would urge people to come down and check it out.”

The new facility, which cost £140,000, also includes fresh rubber surfacing and a new control box with state of the art pumps which will reduce water waste and operational costs. For more information visit marystevenspark.org.