1:00pm Wednesday 18th November 2009
By Ryan McCarthy
About £20,000 is to be spent putting in an outdoor gym in Witham.
Councillors gave the go ahead last week for the equipment to be installed on the Spa Road playing field in the town.
The cash has been given by NHS Mid Essex and on November 10 members of Witham Local Committee chose the Spa Road site over the playing field in Bramble Road.
The project, which the health trust and Braintree Council are working on, is designed to give residents access to gym equipment at any time and the £20,000 is likely to fund ten different pieces of gym equipment.
Lady Patricia Newton, cabinet member for housing and wellbeing, said the project is a first for the district.
Michael Lager (Con, Witham Chipping Hill and Central) said: “It’s yet another nail in the coffin of the moaning Minnies that say Witham does not get a look-in in the district.”
However, Geoffrey Cohen (Con, Witham West) said he was unconvinced and he asked if it could be made clear on the equipment that it was paid for by the health trust.
“I’m not sure people would welcome seeing taxpayers’ money spent on this,” he said.
The resistance based equipment is suitable for children and adults and will help with different types of cardiovascular and tonal exercise.
There will be on-site instructions and Braintree Council has applied to an Essex County Council forum for cash to fund a physical activity coordinator.
The coordinator would work for six months and aim to increase the amount the new equipment is used.
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