El área infantil de Las Llamas contará con dos zonas cubiertas y nuevos juegos por edades e inclusivos.
The children’s area of Las Llamas Park will have two covered areas, through wooden and polycarbonate structures between five and nine meters high, and new games that will be distributed by age groups and will include inclusive elements.
The project tender to renovate and cover the children’s play area in Las Llamas was approved on Monday by the Local Government Board, with a base budget of 1.25 million euros and a completion period of eight months.
The Mayor of Santander, Gema Igual, presented the project in a press conference alongside the Councilor for the Environment, Margarita Rojo, and Carlos Liaño from the company Ingenia.
Igual mentioned that the works are expected to start "at the end of this year or the beginning of the next," so if there are no setbacks, the renovated and covered park could be inaugurated in the summer of 2026.
This project represents the second phase of the renovation of Las Llamas Park, which, after more than 17 years since its construction, requires improvements and updates, such as this one for the children’s park and other ongoing works by the City Council.
It was also mentioned that the first phase of the renovation, which includes repairing metal structures, vertical planters, and walkways, has been awarded to Rucecan for 1.1 million euros. These works will start at the end of June and will be carried out in different phases to avoid closing the park.
The second phase, presented on Monday, aims to completely renovate and cover the children’s play area so that it can be used all year round, allowing children to play outdoors even when it rains.
The covers of the park were unanimously approved in a 2022 plenary session, as Mayor Igual recalled. The details of the project will fulfill the plenary mandate.
WOOD AND POLYCARBONATE STRUCTURES
The cover structures will be made of wood with polycarbonate enclosures to allow light to pass through and avoid feeling enclosed. A new rubber pavement in various colors will be installed inside, with around 15 children’s games differentiated by age and inclusive elements.
Additionally, the drainage system will be replaced, new lighting will be installed, and the surroundings of the new covered park will be landscaped with internal roads, benches, and trash cans.
The intervention will cover an area of 1,685 square meters with two structures: one of about 1,000 square meters with a double-height cover, the highest part being around 9 meters, and another of 800 square meters with a five-meter height cover.
Apart from the rubber pavement, most of the games will be made of wood to fit the park’s style, and the lighting will be unique to not only illuminate the play area but also serve as a decorative element.
Mayor Igual mentioned a third phase of renovation for Las Llamas Park, focusing on the building with an infant area, cafeteria, and public bathrooms. The project for this phase has already been commissioned.
Regarding new urban planning, Mayor Igual announced that the drafting of the new General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) will be tendered in the next week or so. This plan will need to consider the future expansion of Las Llamas Park as part of Santander’s new urban planning.
Currently, the city has two covered children’s parks, one in Alisal and another on Doctor Madrazo Street, with Las Llamas being the third. The City Council is actively looking for locations to cover or build new parks in expanding areas of the city, following urban planning regulations and restrictions on park construction.
