A newly refurbished play area, skate park and tennis courts has officially opened in Maple Cross.

The £500,000 improvements at Denham Way Playing Fields were officially unveiled by Three Rivers District Council on Saturday (May 13).

Most of the project was funded by the council's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), alongside a £75k grant from the HS2 Community and Environment Fund.

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Chair of Three Rivers District Council, Cllr Debbie Morris, opened the facilities and expressed delight at the "fabulous refurbishment with lots of new and exciting equipment for the local community to use".

Watford Observer: The improvements cost over £500,000.The improvements cost over £500,000. (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

Featured at the refurbished facilities are an outdoor calisthenic gym, skate park with a bump track, and a table tennis table.

A refurbished pavilion with a "fully equipped kitchen" and outdoor serving hatch is also included.

                                                                                            

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Cllr Chris Lloyd, the council’s lead member for leisure, added: "It is wonderful to see these new facilities being provided at Denham Way. I am delighted that this project has been such a success and I know it will offer so many new opportunities for lots of people to make good use of these playing fields."

Along with providing facilities for people to enjoy, an emphasis has been placed on the development of new habitats to encourage biodiversity.

Watford Observer: School students and teachers assisted with the creation of a reptile bank and bug hotel.School students and teachers assisted with the creation of a reptile bank and bug hotel. (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

Log piles houses, a stag beetle loggery, a reptile habitat bank, bug hotels, bird boxes and a seasonal pond are also all included.

Pupils and teachers at Maple Cross JMI School assisted with the construction of the reptile bank and bug hotel, which have been made from recycled materials.

Hannah Trickett, co-headteacher at Maple Cross, added: "The children were galvanised to make a visible difference to where they play and were passionate to enhance the natural world."