Reading Council reveals the winning design for new flagship play area at Prospect Park

Reading Council can today announce the winning design for its new half-a-million pound playground in Prospect Park.

Following community consultation, and feedback from the Council’s Access Disability Group, the design from HAGS has been selected as the winner with nearly 55% of the overall vote.

The winning design will create an exciting play area that will allow children to be challenged physically, as well as letting their creativity flourish. The design provides a range of facilities to cater for children of all ages and abilities by offering a variety of challenge levels. The location and surfaces of the new play area have been chosen to ensure the best accessibility for families using pushchairs or mobility aids.  

The new playground at Prospect Park forms part of the Council’s overall £1 million investment in new playgrounds and playground equipment across Reading for children and families to enjoy.

The new play area will include

• Themed zones, including quiet play areas and activity panels.
• Roundabouts, swings and a zipwire.
• Two large climbing towers with a tunnel slide and access ramp incorporated into the unit.
• Ground-level roundabout, braille panels, lower-level inclusive play net, accessible see-saw, tactile panels, ground-level games, and a large accessible springer.

The new play area will be designed to allow much better access to and around the play area and will be as inclusive as possible – aiming to challenge, excite and inspire as well as encourage children of all abilities to play together.

As part of the work there are plans to create a pedestrian access path from the car park to the play area, with a new pedestrian crossing.

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said: “I want to thank everyone who participated in this consultation. The winning design offers a fantastic range of great play equipment with something for children of all ages and abilities.

“This £530,000 investment reflects the importance of Prospect Park to Reading: 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."

This project is just one aspect of the enhancement and investment being made within Prospect Park, including a £500k multi-use activity centre in part of the pavilion building. The mini-golf at the centre opened in June, with the other facilities – including indoor Sky Tykes low ropes for young children and a café - opening later this summer.

Work on the new play area will start in the autumn this year and the play area will be open for the summer holidays in 2023.

Once the new play area is open the second phase will be to remove the existing play area and reinstate the area back to informal grass parkland.

Cllr Barnett-Ward added: “The existing play area is still open and will remain so until the new playground is ready. Families are already enjoying our newly-opened Reading-themed mini-golf course, and our family-friendly adventure hub, The Ranger Station, is due to open at Prospect Park Pavilion very soon. The Ranger Station will offer a low ropes activity for younger children and a café with an accessible toilet and Changing Places facility, making Prospect Park the perfect destination for a family day out this summer!”

Find out more about the Ranger Station and mini-golf here: www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/active-reading

ENDS