Families can look forward to a new attraction at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington this summer.

Planning permission has been granted by City of York Council for the long-awaited bespoke play area.  

The scheme, with an aviation theme, had been delayed by the pandemic.

It comes as the museum is working on a programme of events and activities for the year.

York-based Team Sport and Play will now start making the equipment and the museum will also start preparing the area.

Work will start next month, with the playground operational for the summer school holidays, if not before.

The aviation-themed play equipment will have toddler-size slides, an inclusive swing for all abilities, a wheelchair accessible roundabout and for older children, a bespoke centre piece Spitfire multiplay unit with slides, a rope climb, monkey bars and two-way talk tubes to the “pilot” in the cockpit.  

The museum has worked closely with Team Sport & Play to design the bespoke play area suited for the museum, using heavy duty materials for a long life.

Rachael Semlyen MBE, Chair of the Trustees called it exciting for the playground to be built after months of design work, discussions on the best location, and then the Covid-related delays.

Phil Tonks, Managing Director of Team Sport and Play said: “The new play area will be an exciting addition to the Yorkshire Air Museum, creating even more of a reason for families to visit what is already a fantastic visitor attraction in York.”

Assessing the application, council planning staff said the playground keeps the theme of the museum.

It would also not harm the setting of the control tower 20m away, which is the subject of a £100,000 restoration appeal.

They concluded: “The proposed development is judged to be acceptable and will not result in harm to the green belt, nearby heritage assets or to the general character of the site.”

In the meantime, the museum is planning for a number of major events and exhibitions.

Starting in April will be ‘Minute to Midnight’ about the Cold War of the 1960s,7os and 80s, and the role of British Jets.

This will run all summer, with current war between Russia and the Ukraine, making it more topical.

In June, there will also be a Cold War Car Show, featuring cars from the era.

During the Coronation Weekend in May, the museum will also stage a 1940s-themed weekend called ‘We’ll Meet Again.’

Museum spokesman Jerry Ibbotson also told the Press the museum is enjoying higher attendance with 60,000 through its gates in 2022, which was higher than the 40,000 in 2021 and also better than before the pandemic.