Wokingham to get extra green family area later this month!
A new Wokingham family area perfect for picnics, dog-walking, and recreational activities will be created later this month in Wokingham to give residents a community green space.
Last year Wokingham Borough Council’s executive agreed to grass over eight play-grounds in the borough, after a consultation in late 2006.
Work on the project started in December with contractors removing the equipment from three play areas in Earley.
Montague Close play area will be dismantled and grassed over to form a new green meeting and activity space. Contractors are due to start work on Monday January 26 when equipment will be taken down, stored and redistributed to other play areas. The work will be completed by Friday January 30. Where possible, the equipment from Montague Close will be redistributed to other play parks in the borough so that enhanced play areas are created.
The Wokingham council asked residents for their views on 12 play areas within the borough, during the consultation, and asked for feedback on whether they were valued community spaces, or if they would be much more valued as recreational space.
The play areas consulted upon were selected due to their perceived under-use by residents, members of the community and the Wokingham council’s parks officers.
Reasons for their limited use included:
• Too many play parks in one area
• Play areas having limited or old play equipment, and not having any play equipment or space for older children/ teenagers
• Some play areas being uninviting as they are regularly vandalised, littered or used as a place for older children to hang about in big groups.
• Some play areas suffering from regular bouts of vandalism, which has caused ongoing health and safety risks.
The majority of Wokingham residents agreed that nine of the play areas, including Montague Close, were under-used and not valued community facilities. Feedback for those areas 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.
However the other three remaining areas were enjoyed by families and so the council agreed to keep those play areas open and will continue to maintain them.
Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “Eventually, once these areas are all grassed over, they will open up to give the community a green space for everyone to enjoy – whether it’s playing a game, having a picnic or walking the dog. It made sense to turn the play parks into green spaces as that’s what the community was telling us that it wanted to see.”
Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “I want to assure our residents and families that we are committed to having many play areas in the borough. This process is not about taking away play areas but providing quality, well-used and well maintained play parks as well as open spaces. We recognise that some of the play areas in the review were loved by the community and so we agreed to keep them open.”
Last year Wokingham Borough Council’s executive agreed to grass over eight play-grounds in the borough, after a consultation in late 2006.
Work on the project started in December with contractors removing the equipment from three play areas in Earley.
Montague Close play area will be dismantled and grassed over to form a new green meeting and activity space. Contractors are due to start work on Monday January 26 when equipment will be taken down, stored and redistributed to other play areas. The work will be completed by Friday January 30. Where possible, the equipment from Montague Close will be redistributed to other play parks in the borough so that enhanced play areas are created.
The Wokingham council asked residents for their views on 12 play areas within the borough, during the consultation, and asked for feedback on whether they were valued community spaces, or if they would be much more valued as recreational space.
The play areas consulted upon were selected due to their perceived under-use by residents, members of the community and the Wokingham council’s parks officers.
Reasons for their limited use included:
• Too many play parks in one area
• Play areas having limited or old play equipment, and not having any play equipment or space for older children/ teenagers
• Some play areas being uninviting as they are regularly vandalised, littered or used as a place for older children to hang about in big groups.
• Some play areas suffering from regular bouts of vandalism, which has caused ongoing health and safety risks.
The majority of Wokingham residents agreed that nine of the play areas, including Montague Close, were under-used and not valued community facilities. Feedback for those areas 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.
However the other three remaining areas were enjoyed by families and so the council agreed to keep those play areas open and will continue to maintain them.
Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “Eventually, once these areas are all grassed over, they will open up to give the community a green space for everyone to enjoy – whether it’s playing a game, having a picnic or walking the dog. It made sense to turn the play parks into green spaces as that’s what the community was telling us that it wanted to see.”
Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “I want to assure our residents and families that we are committed to having many play areas in the borough. This process is not about taking away play areas but providing quality, well-used and well maintained play parks as well as open spaces. We recognise that some of the play areas in the review were loved by the community and so we agreed to keep them open.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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