THE MOTHER of a boy suffering from a rare condition is celebrating after running a successful campaign to get disabled access for play areas in Penarth

Anna Murphy, of Hewell Street in Cogan said discussions with the contractors behind the plans helped lead to equipment being included in proposals for Plassey Square.

The Vale council has set aside £600,000 for improvements to play areas in north Penarth including at Dingle Park, Plassey Square, Paget Road and Cogan Recreation Ground through money received in Section 106 contributions from the developers of Penarth Heights.

They recently announced that part of the improvements will see disabled access provide for all the play areas.

Miss Murphy, who set up Oshi's World - a not-for-profit company that offers fully accessible community facilities for children with disabilities and special needs and which was named after her son Osian - is hoping to open a cafe which accommodates for disabled children.

She said: "We have done quite a lot on social media based around the idea of changing spaces.

"We looked at the Plassey Square plans to see if there was accessible equipment and we could not see any."

Talking about the council's decision she said: "I am over the moon. We feel Oshi's World deserves some credit for getting equipment installed.

"This is better for everyone including friends and families."

Cllr Lis Burnett, deputy leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said that making play areas accessible to the disabled is a "major feature" of all plans for park upgrades in Penarth.

She said: "The council asks that this is demonstrated through an access statement when contractors carrying out the work tender their proposals.

"Play area designers have considered a variety of issues when drawing-up their proposals, including access to the park and surfacing to ensure it is suitable for wheelchairs.

"Activities are also placed at a variety of levels in order to cater for a broad range of users and ramps will be available to access some elevated activities," she said.

She also revealed that, at the Cliff Walk play area, all seating will be built on an accessible all-weather surface, while there will be a wheelchair-friendly picnic bench.

There will be a double-width slide allowing a child to be accompanied when using it, while children will be able to sit, lie or stand on the roundabout.

She said: "Some wheelchair users will be able to lift themselves onto a climbing net.

"The needs of autistic children have also been considered when selecting colour schemes.

"At Plassey Square, the gates include a self-closing mechanism for ease of entry and exit and there are no major changes in levels inside the play area.

"While recommendations indicate a play area should include two pieces of inclusive equipment, there are eight at this location.

"These include a wheelchair-accessible roundabout, which has been added since the original design," she said.