A PIECE of waste ground in Greenock has been transformed into a new adventure playground.

It has been built on the site of the old Kelly Street Children's Centre, for pupils of the recently refurbished St Mary's Primary School.

The land had lain barren since the nursery closed in 2018 when children moved into Glenpark Early Learning Centre on the former Greenock Academy site.

St Mary's head teacher Angela Guthrie says pupils of all ages have been enjoying the dynamic new space.

Angela said: "The children are absolutely loving it.

"It's appealing to pupils of all ages and they're timetabled for it at break times to make sure they all get the chance to experience it.

"We don't have a lot of ground to work with, so this is a lovely addition to our outdoor space."

St Mary's worked alongside Inverclyde Council on the planning application and the staff were determined to include greenspace as part of the design.

Angela added: "We made sure there was a garden section with flowers and shrubs too as we want it to look nice in the spring and summer.

"We want to inspire children to take an interest in growing and looking after the plants.

"The pupils will continue to develop the space and we're planning to plant trees and create even more green space."

The school also plans to reinvigorate another section of the playground using a grant from B&Q in Port Glasgow.

Pupil Emily Mooney is enjoying getting the chance to get active in the playground.

Emily said: "It's really great for us and gives us more space to get outside and get active.

"It gives us a bit more freedom.

"It will be great to see the garden in the spring and summer."

SAINTLY ADDITION - Head teacher Angela Guthrie and depute head teacher Jacqueline Blincow with pupils Matthew O'Neill, Annie Henry, Emily Mooney and Joshua Marrone.