Increasing green spaces for games and picnics in the Wokingham Borough
Having a kick-about, playing games or enjoying a picnic could soon be much easier for Wokingham families and youngsters, as more green recreational spaces are set to be opened up in the Wokingham Borough over the next two years.
Enhanced Wokingham play areas could also provide better-equipped play parks for youngsters, if Wokingham Borough Council’s review of play areas is given the go-ahead by the decision-making executive on June 26.
More than 7,900 people living close to 16 specific play areas were given the chance to have their say on how well a play area near them was used and what they would like to see there and if they had noticed any problems with it, during a consultation in autumn 2006.
The 16 Wokingham play areas consulted upon were selected due to their perceived under-use by residents, members of the community and the council’s parks officers. Reasons for their limited use include:
· Too many play parks in one area (for example, there are five included in the review in Lower Earley alone). This is due to developers building new play areas to go with housing developments, but not taking into account the proximity of other play parks in the area and their maintenance.
· Play areas having limited or old play equipment, and not having any play equipment or space for older children/ teenagers.
· Some play areas are uninviting as they are regularly vandalised, littered or used as a place for older children to hang about in big groups.
· Some play areas being closed due to vandalism, which has caused health and safety risks.
Feedback from residents during the consultation found that eight of the play areas were well used and provided a good and valued community facility. Feedback for the other eight included not having enough open space for children to play football, dog fouling, attracting anti-social behaviour and people with substance misuse problems, being strewn with litter and not having enough teenage facilities.
The Wokingham executive is set to agree to remove play equipment from the eight sites, which residents said were not needed or misused, at its meeting on June 26. Equipment will then be shared out among the borough’s other play areas and the remaining space will be grassed over to provide a green recreational land. This can then be used for football, cricket, rounders, games, picnics, running and other activities that older children and families can take part in.
The sites due to be turned into green spaces over the next two years, are:
· Waltham Chase, Twyford (toddler park)
· Gorse Ride North, Finchampstead
· Drewett Close, Shinfield (toddler park)
· Montague Close, Wokingham
· Mollison Close, Woodley
· Kilnsea Walk, Lower Earley
· Moorhen Close, Lower Earley
· Skelmerdale East, Lower Earley
Enhanced Wokingham play areas could also provide better-equipped play parks for youngsters, if Wokingham Borough Council’s review of play areas is given the go-ahead by the decision-making executive on June 26.
More than 7,900 people living close to 16 specific play areas were given the chance to have their say on how well a play area near them was used and what they would like to see there and if they had noticed any problems with it, during a consultation in autumn 2006.
The 16 Wokingham play areas consulted upon were selected due to their perceived under-use by residents, members of the community and the council’s parks officers. Reasons for their limited use include:
· Too many play parks in one area (for example, there are five included in the review in Lower Earley alone). This is due to developers building new play areas to go with housing developments, but not taking into account the proximity of other play parks in the area and their maintenance.
· Play areas having limited or old play equipment, and not having any play equipment or space for older children/ teenagers.
· Some play areas are uninviting as they are regularly vandalised, littered or used as a place for older children to hang about in big groups.
· Some play areas being closed due to vandalism, which has caused health and safety risks.
Feedback from residents during the consultation found that eight of the play areas were well used and provided a good and valued community facility. Feedback for the other eight included not having enough open space for children to play football, dog fouling, attracting anti-social behaviour and people with substance misuse problems, being strewn with litter and not having enough teenage facilities.
The Wokingham executive is set to agree to remove play equipment from the eight sites, which residents said were not needed or misused, at its meeting on June 26. Equipment will then be shared out among the borough’s other play areas and the remaining space will be grassed over to provide a green recreational land. This can then be used for football, cricket, rounders, games, picnics, running and other activities that older children and families can take part in.
The sites due to be turned into green spaces over the next two years, are:
· Waltham Chase, Twyford (toddler park)
· Gorse Ride North, Finchampstead
· Drewett Close, Shinfield (toddler park)
· Montague Close, Wokingham
· Mollison Close, Woodley
· Kilnsea Walk, Lower Earley
· Moorhen Close, Lower Earley
· Skelmerdale East, Lower Earley
Wokingham Borough Council
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