A PLAYGROUND which has been standing disused and vandalised for 10 years has reopened with brand new equipment.

The play area in Townsend Square opened this week, complete with new, modern equipment including climbing frames and balancing logs.

Oxford Lord Mayor Elise Benjamin said that the campaign to refurbish the play area started when the swings and roundabout in the old playground were heavily vandalised in 2002.

She said: “I have been on various site visits over the last 10 years trying to move this forward, as have my predecessors. It’s been needed for a long time, especially given the grassed areas nearby have all got ‘no ball games’ signs.

“Kids want somewhere to play.”

The play area, which is round the corner from the popular charity-run Donnington Doorstep Family Centre, also includes swings, a bowl swing for the smallest children, and new safety mats.

It has been part of a city-wide programme of improvements to play areas, costing £2.5m.

In all, 69 areas will be upgraded or replaced, and more than 50 have been completed.

Ms Benjamin said: “Part of the problem has been it was in such a bad state.

“The more derelict the play area looked, the more it attracted vandalism. When the Meadow Lane equipment was updated, the vandalism pretty much disappeared.”

She said the playground was en route to two schools, Larkrise and SS Mary and John Primary School, and was an ideal stopping off point for people picking up or dropping off children there, or visiting the family centre.

Ms Benjamin said she was confident it would be well used.

She said: “Certainly when Meadow Lane was upgraded, the increase in the number of children using it was quite significant.”

Enjoying the new equipment yesterday were children from the nearby Donnington Doorstep playgroup.

Playgroup supervisor Lorraine Walls said: “The children love the play equipment. It’s nice because there’s things for all age ranges.

“It was broken, vandalised and just run-down before, so it’s nice to see it being used.”