With temperatures soaring once again, it's the perfect time for the opening of the district's latest splash park.

The Watersplash in Morris Recreation Ground, London Colney, was officially opened by Deputy Lieutenant of Herts Marion Brown and London Colney Parish Council chairman Cllr Malcolm MacMillan.

Cllr MacMillan said: “The opening of this splash park shows the continued investment by the parish council into the recreation facilities in London Colney. It is envisaged that this facility will be enjoyed by many generations for years to come.

"It comes as part of a programme of investment at Morris Recreation Ground including a refurbishment of the sports pavilion and investment in our sports equipment, thanks to a grant from the Football Foundation.

"This is all in preparation for an application for a Green Flag, to recognise all the hard work that is put into this much-loved resource in the village.”

Herts Advertiser: London Colney Parish Council chairman Cllr Malcolm MacMillan and Deputy Lieutenant of Herts Marion Brown at The Watersplash.London Colney Parish Council chairman Cllr Malcolm MacMillan and Deputy Lieutenant of Herts Marion Brown at The Watersplash. (Image: LCPC)

The Watersplash is named after the hotel and swimming pool on Barnet Road that operated in the 1940s and '50s and is now known as The Colney Fox.

It replaces the paddling pool which had become uneconomic to repair and was the concern of several health and safety issues. Cllr MacMillan opened the original paddling pool when he was Mayor of St Albans in 1990.

Originally the pool was closed due to government coronavirus guidance in summer 2020 but was expected to re-open last summer.

But at its annual council meeting, members of London Colney Parish Council supported £200,000 investment in a replacement water feature in the form of a splash park with at least 10 play items along with the infrastructure needed to run the facility.

The park is open every day from 10am-6pm and features its own café selling ice creams and other refreshments.

Waste water from the park will be collected and stored to be used for irrigation of floral displays, cricket wickets and cleaning equipment.