Papdale East Playpark Official Opening

By theorkneynews on April 17, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

a view through budding young trees across the grass to the houses in the near distance

Papdale East Park in Kirkwall will be opened officially on Friday 21st April by the Convener of Orkney Islands Council Graham Bevan at 12 noon.

The park is already looking really good with wide accessible pathways and narrow ones covered in a springy bark coating – colour is used to delineate different surfaces.

It is wonderful to see the burn being incorporated in such an imaginative way with little bridges crossing it which also provide view points.

Bark springy path a different colour and texture from the main paths take you through the tree planting

the papdale burn winding its way through the park at this point with large boulders allowing it to tumble over, in the distance Kirkwall Grammar School

This phase of the park at Papdale has cost £670,000 with funding from a wide variety of sources including: Orkney Islands Council, Places for Everyone which is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans, and NatureScot’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund, Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes grant allocation and the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund. Design work was funded by HITRANS.

The project has also been supported by the Orkney Woodland Project and The Woodland Trust and the work carried out by Andrew Sinclair Contractors.

Working with the community, the design team led by HarrisonStevens took the original stage 2 concept first to stage 3 and through planning, and then on to tender and construction.

On Friday 21st there will be a whole afternoon of activities including guided walks and a treasure hunt.