Thousands of children across Oxford will be able to get to grips with new play parks after the city council confirmed plans for a £2.5m refurbishment programme.

The news has been greeted with joy by parents and children across the city who will benefit from the renovation of 52 run-down play areas over the next two years.

Four new play areas will also be created at Spencer Crescent in Rose Hill, Northway Park in Headington, Milham Ford Park in Marston, and Rutherway in North Oxford.

Parents who live near the ageing Gillians Park play area, by Chaffinch Walk in Greater Leys, are thrilled their kids will have new play equipment.

Mother-of-three Yasmin Smith, from Kingfisher Green, said: “This is brilliant. Kids really love the park but the play equipment is rusty.

“Children’s play areas should be full of bright colours but everything here is faded.

“As a parent it makes you dubious about letting your children play on it. We can’t wait to see our kids playing with new equipment.”

Sharon Wake, 31, a mum-of-two from Greater Leys, said: “This is fantastic.

“I don’t take my children to the play area anymore because it’s very run down. We always walk past it to go to one of the newer ones. The kids are so happy they’re going to get some new equipment.”

Work on the giant programme of investment will begin next week with diggers set to roll into the play area on the Botley Road Recreation Ground on Monday, weather permitting.

The £65,000 renovation will be the first under the new scheme and will involve re-siting under-used facilities from a play area in Helen Road, West Oxford, to a new location next to the West Oxford Community Centre.

The new play area is set to be completed within seven weeks.

Mother Leslie Mac-menamin, 43, from Barrett Street, West Oxford, said: “This is a great thing. We stopped using the Botley Road play area a couple of years ago because it fell into disrepair and older children started to take over the park.

“It’ll be great to get a new park for young children.”

Anne-Marie Baverstock, 34, a mother-of-two from Fogwell Road, Botley, said: “It’s great to hear there’s investment going into our play area now.”

Following the two-year renovation programme, £200,000 will be pumped into Oxford’s play areas every year for the next eight years in a rolling programme of refurbishment.

City councillor Antonia Bance, board member for social inclusion and young people, said: “This will make a major difference to the happiness and wellbeing of thousands of children and young people in all parts of the city.

“It’s important that children have the chance to develop and have fun in new, safe play areas and we are proud to bring our play areas up to scratch for the 21st century.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk