WATCH: Councillors get a soaking as refurbished splash park opens in Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard’s mayor and deputy mayor got a soaking as part of the opening ceremony of the town’s refurbished splash park.
On a warm and sunny afternoon, and watched on by excitable schoolchildren, mayor cllr David Bligh and deputy mayor cllr James Emm cooled off thanks to a dousing of water from the Twinsplash, a large tipping bucket which offers users a duo of splashes.
The Twinsplash is part of the new equipment installed at the splash and play facility on Parsons Close in the town.
Cllr Bligh told the LBO: “It was a wonderful day, and the children from both schools were very excited for the occasion.
“I had a wonderful time, and I would happily repeat standing under the Twinsplash, because it was great fun, and I dried very quickly!
“I was around in the park a couple of hours after we opened it, and there were lots of schoolchildren still enjoying it.
“It is a fabulous asset for the town and will be loved for many years to come.”
The facility opened in 2011 and has attracted around 250,000 visitors per year since then.
As part of an upgrade prior to the start of the 2026 season, which began on May 1, the facility has new water play equipment, a revamped splash pad, an energy-saving pump, a foot wash and sand traps.
Other new equipment installed at the site is a 3D bee character, which is one of the first in the country, and a snail with 360-degree rotation and water amplification.
As part of the refurbishment of the facility, schoolchildren across the town were invited to create designs for the splash park’s new floor, following the theme of ‘In Nature’.
Mary Bassett Lower School had its entry selected for the floor of the facility, while Beaudesert Lower School, had its design chosen for the back wall and the side of the café building.
Pupils from both schools had the opportunity to enjoy first use of the facility, as part of an opening ceremony on May 1.
The facility, which is free to use, officially opened to the public on May 2, with opening hours of 10am to 4pm from Mondays to Fridays, and 10am to 7.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.