Marsh Green has a new children's playground, opened on 7 October. Edenbridge Town Council put up to £70,000 of developer levy money into replacing the old one.
Children in Marsh Green have a new playground. Edenbridge Town Council opened it on Wednesday 7 October, replacing play equipment the council said was nearing the end of its life. (Edenbridge Town Council, New playground for Marsh Green, 20 October 2026)
The council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Board awarded up to £70,000 for the work last December. CIL is the charge councils make on new building, and town and parish councils get a share of what is raised in their area. (Edenbridge Town Council, CIL Board minutes, 1 December 2025)
The Marsh Green playground was the largest of the ten awards the board made that night.
Why the old playground was replaced
The CIL Board minutes give the reasons. The council’s 30-year maintenance plan and “failing playground inspections” had flagged the old playground. The minutes say its equipment:
- was nearing the end of its lifespan
- did not meet modern safety or accessibility standards
- limited the chances for local children to play safely
The new playground is aimed at children up to 10. The minutes say it is meant to serve Marsh Green, its pre-school and the surrounding area, in a rural part of the parish “where facilities are limited”. Members backed it unanimously.
The minutes say the town council’s Open Spaces Committee would oversee the project, with the money paid on invoices once the work was complete. The council has not published the final cost.
The opening
Children from the local pre-school were the first to try the equipment. The council’s chair, Councillor Angela Baker, cut the ribbon.
“The new playground is a great improvement on the old play area with fresh, exciting equipment and a much more inviting space for local children to play, explore and burn off some energy,” she said. “We hope they really enjoy it!”
The playground was designed by Kompan, which came to the opening with goodie bags for the children. The same firm hosted the reopening of Swanley’s refurbished Hilda May playground on 6 October.
Where the rest of Edenbridge’s levy money went
The same meeting shared out money for nine other projects. The biggest after Marsh Green were up to £50,000 for a new mains water connection, heating and hot water at the Pavilion, and £40,000 for new streetlights on Cedar Drive and Park Avenue. (Edenbridge Town Council, Latest Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding awards for Edenbridge, March 2026)
The full list from that meeting:
| Project | Award |
|---|---|
| New playground at Marsh Green (Edenbridge Town Council) | £70,000 |
| Pavilion mains water connection (Edenbridge Town Council) | £50,000 |
| Replacement streetlights, Cedar Drive and Park Avenue (Edenbridge Town Council) | £40,000 |
| Stangrove Park bandstand (Edenbridge Town Council) | £22,570 |
| Irrigation system (Edenbridge Cricket Club) | £12,000 |
| Refurbishment and electricals (WI Hall) | £9,587 |
| New streetlight, Church Street (Edenbridge Town Council) | £6,000 |
| Replacement composting toilet (Edenbridge Allotment Gardens Association) | £5,867.99 |
| Disabled access ramps at the Pavilion (Edenbridge Town Council) | £2,800 |
| Replacement display cabinet covers (Eden Valley Museum) | £1,950 |
The Marsh Green playground was one of the new projects the town council named when it set its 2026 budget in February, with the Stangrove Park bandstand and a community garden on the old police site. (Edenbridge Town Council, Council’s 2026 budget will safeguard services and deliver value for money, 4 February 2026)
What it means for families
The playground is open now, in time for the October half-term. Our guide to parks and playgrounds around Sevenoaks district lists other places to take children. Cafés and shops in the town are on our Edenbridge business directory.
Community groups in Edenbridge can bid for CIL money for their own projects. The town council publishes its CIL Board papers and minutes on its council papers page.
Sources
- Edenbridge Town Council, New playground for Marsh Green, published 20 October 2026 (the 7 October opening, the pre-school children, Cllr Angela Baker’s quote, Kompan, CIL funding, the 30-year maintenance plan)
- Edenbridge Town Council, CIL Board minutes, 1 December 2025 (the award of up to £70,000, failing inspections, safety and accessibility standards, ages up to 10, rural area, unanimous support, Open Spaces Committee oversight, payment on invoice; the up to £50,000 Pavilion award)
- Edenbridge Town Council, Latest Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding awards for Edenbridge, March 2026 (the ten 1 December 2025 awards and how CIL works)
- Edenbridge Town Council, Council’s 2026 budget will safeguard services and deliver value for money, 4 February 2026
Images: the new playground and the opening group, both supplied by Edenbridge Town Council with its 20 October announcement. Chart by Sevenoaks Online.
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