Winning design for new flagship play area revealed
A new £530,000 play park is to be built in Prospect Park, with an aim of being accessible to all children.
The winning design was chosen from a consultation and also taking on board comments from Reading Borough Council’s Access Disability Group.
Created by HAGS, and scooping 55% of the public vote, it will create a play area that will allow children to be challenged physically, and encourage creativity.
The design has a range of facilities for children all ages and abilities, and the location and surfaces of the new play area have been chosen to ensure the best accessibility for families using pushchairs or mobility aids.
Equipment will include roundabouts, climbing towers and a zipwire.
There will be two large climbing towers with a tunnel slide and access ramp incorporated into the unit.
Accessibility features include braille panels, lower-level inclusive play net, accessible see-saw, tactile panels, ground-level games, and a large accessible springer.
Work on the new play area will start in the autumn this year and the play area will be open for the summer holidays this time next year.
The council said that there are plans to create an access path from the car park to the play area, with a new pedestrian crossing.
The new playground is part of the Council’s £1 million investment in playgrounds across Reading.
Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, thanked people for taking part in the consultation and said the winning design had a fantastic range of equipment.
“This £530,000 investment reflects the importance of Prospect Park: it is one of the town’s destination parks and improving play facilities and access is a key priority for the Council. Work will begin in the autumn and complete in time for the school holidays next year,” she added.
Other improvements include a £500,000 multi-use activity centre in part of the pavilion building, a mini-golf course which opened last month, and an indoor Sky Tykes low ropes for young children and a café opening later this summer.
The council has promised that once the new play area is open, the existing play area will be returned to an informal grass parkland.
Cllr Barnett-Ward added: “The existing play area is still open and will remain so until the new playground is ready.”