Prospect Park play transformation begins

Preparation work gets underway this week for an exciting new destination for activities, entertainment and learning for families and children from across Reading and beyond.

We are investing over £500k to build a new play hub and activity centre in part of the pavilion building at Prospect Park.

As part of our ambition to improve health and drive up participation in outdoor and active play, the fantastic new facilities coming soon will include:

• accessible outdoor family adventure 9-hole mini-golf;
• an indoor ‘Sky Tykes’ low ropes course for younger children age 7 and under;
• a café facility with indoor and outdoor seating;
• new toilet facilities (including an accessible Changing Places facility);
• multi-function room for parties, meetings and teaching, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or excluded from mainstream education;
• an outdoor education area that will also support Reading Play’s educational outreach work which includes using play as a tool to improve particularly vulnerable young people’s social skills and wellbeing.

From today, Monday 1 November, if you visit the park you will notice works beginning around the pavilion site including the clearance of a large hedge and shrubbery to the rear of the pavilion. The removal of the hedge will make way for the new outdoor facilities. Clearing the overgrown Leylandii hedge will also help preserve the nearby veteran oak it has encroached on. There will be a biodiversity gain with this development through further tree planting.

Work inside the pavilion starts in early December, with the new centre set to open in spring 2022.

The pavilion is the home of the Council’s highly regarded and popular Play Service, and the new centre would also provide an outdoor enclosed education zone to support the team’s educational outreach programmes, including a climbing wall and team building activities, such as den building, archery, an outdoor classroom and much more.

Find out more about the play project The new play hub and activity centre is just one aspect of the enhancement and investment being made within Prospect Park. The playground has been prioritised for improvements, particularly free accessible equipment for children of all abilities. Work is anticipated to start in spring 2022.

Details for relocation and enhancements to the children’s playground