A NEW play area has opened in Okehampton thanks to the phenomenal community spirit of people living in one road. The residents of Oak Road have been working for three years to provide a new play area for local youngsters and last Thursday it was officially opened with excited little ones given the chance to play on the equipment for the first time. Youngsters from the road burst through a yellow ribbon and ran straight into the play area on a small piece of land adjoining the estate ? even a shower could not dampen their enthusiasm for their new slides and climbing equipment. Adrian Burbridge, chairman of the Oak Road Residents? Association, which has worked tirelessly to realise the play area, said: ?We formed our residents? association almost three years ago because of anti-social behaviour by some of the adults on the street. ?We started off the association on a negative point, but today just goes to prove that we are now on a high. ?We needed a safe and secure area to play for the children so we made a decision to do it ourselves. The project has cost around £25,000, of which almost £1,300 came from fundraising from local residents.? Mr Burbridge thanked all the volunteers from Oak Road for their hard work and commitment. He also thanked all the people and organisations who have contributed towards the project, including Sanctuary Housing Association, West Devon Borough Council, West Devon Community Safety Partnership, Okehampton Town Council, the EX20 Lottery Fund, Okehampton United Non Ecclesiastical Trust and Okehampton Lions Club. Mr Burbridge said it had been a long struggle to complete the project and many lessons had been learned along the way. ?It has been about perseverance. We sent out 65 funding applications, each of around 13 or 14 pages, and we had back seven from that. ?It has brought the community together. There is a community spirit. I think everybody has contributed in one way or another.? Mr Burbridge said the youngsters had been given a sense of ownership of the play area and had been asked what sort of play equipment they would like to see in it. ?The kids have also drawn up a rota and are going to make sure they empty the bins once a week to keep the place tidy,? he said. There are plans to further enhance the area by providing a quiet seating area for picnics next to the play park. Mr Burbridge said the work of the residents? association would continue with a new project already in the pipeline. ?We want to purchase a community bus, which could be used to take children out for days at the beach or to holiday attractions. It would be available to anyone in the community who had a transport need.?