Further investigations will take place, but the find will not delay the start of work on the £800,000 project.
The adventure playground is an investment from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to provide the facility for the Waterlees district, which was identified as an area of ‘play deprivation’.
An exercise established that the local community rated improved provision for play, sport and leisure as a high priority.
The funding will enable 8 to 14-year-olds to have access to suitable play facilities. The playground has been primarily designed for this age range but this doesn’t mean children outside this age range won’t be able to use the facility. The plan will take into account the needs of local children to ensure that the playground is used to its full potential.
The playground is designed to be an open access, free playground for local children. Children will be asked to sign in on arrival and sign out again when they leave but there will be no charge to play on at the site.
The playground will be staffed by experienced, qualified staff who will oversee and encourage the children’s play whilst on site. All staff on the site will be CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checked and meet the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) requirements.
Any visitor to the site will be asked to sign in, for health and safety and child protection reasons. The playground will also have a comprehensive safeguarding policy and procedure which meets the requirements of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB).
At a meeting at the end of January 2010, Fenland District Council agreed to transfer the land to Cambridgeshire County Council. All parts of the Spinney outside of the adventure playground will remain public open land.
Archaeologists will be meeting the construction company to plan exactly where this further dig will need to be. This will not delay the construction as the archaeological work will be at the Roman Bank end of the site and the construction of the playground will start at the east end of the site.
Organisers are still looking for local residents from Waterlees to join the resident liaison group. Anyone interested in joining this group should contact Jane Leet on 01954 273357 or email: jane.leet@cambridgeshire.gov.uk