Refurbished Leighton Buzzard splash park will open for longer and remain free, council confirms
The refurbished splash and play park in Leighton Buzzard will open for longer and remain free, the town council has confirmed.
Leighton-Linslade Town Council announced that the splash and play facility at Parsons Close, which has attracted around 250,000 visitors per year since its opening in 2011, will receive a significant upgrade in time for the 2026 season.
Work on the refurbishment will commence in the middle of January 2026, and includes the installation of new water play equipment, a revamped splash pad, an energy-saving pump, a foot wash and sand traps designed to reduce maintenance and operational costs.
The town council is working alongside Ustigate Waterplay on the refurbishment, which is due to be completed in time for the facility to be opened on Monday May 4, the first Bank Holiday of the month.
Among the new play equipment set to be installed is a Twinsplash, a large tipping bucket that offers users a duo of splashes, a 3D bee character which is set to be the first in the country, a snail with 360-degree rotation and water amplification, and a Link No 2 from Vortex’s new collection which features turn, aim, push and spray technology.
Schoolchildren from across the town will be invited to take part in a competition to create a design for the splash park’s new floor.
All lower schools will be invited to enter a single design, with the winning school set to be announced in late February, before their design is brought to life when it is laid inside the new splash pad.
New sapling trees will be installed in the Parsons Close park as part of the work, which are being planted by Ustigate to offset the carbon footprint from the work.
The town council says it is liaising with South Beds Friends of the Earth volunteer group regarding the type and location of the saplings.
The council confirmed in response to a comment on Facebook that there were no plans to charge for use of the upgraded facility.
Rich Davis, head of grounds and environmental services at the council told the LBO: “The town council anticipates the newly refurbished splash park will attract many more people wanting to experience it so we have also agreed that the facility will open for longer to allow the public to spend more time there during the long summer days.”
Leader of Leighton-Linslade Town Council Nigel Carnell added: “I am delighted to be able to share this exciting new chapter in Leighton-Linslade Town Council’s ongoing commitment to investing in our local community and look forward to seeing the project progress over the next few months, opening in time for summer.”