Prospect Park's playground will move from its current location where a tree fell two years ago, with plans approved to relocate and replace the current equipment.

Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) Planning Applications committee approved the plans on Wednesday evening (July 21), which will see the playground move closer to the pavilion.

The play equipment, which is reaching the end of its life, will be replaced with accessible equipment.

Proposals for an indoor and outdoor activity centre at the Prospect Park pavilion were approved in February.

READ MORE: Reading will get new children’s activity centre as council approves plan

Councillor Karen Rowland, lead member for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said the playground needed to be moved and the new location is “more accessible and sustainable”.

Why is the playground being moved?

The existing play area includes play equipment, run-around space and picnic tables and is next to the tennis courts.

RBC says the current play equipment has reached the end of its life and the current surface and access points are not suitable for children with mobility issues.

In 2019, a healthy mature oak tree fell in the play area due to the ground underneath being eroded by an underground spring. The remaining mature oak was reduced as a precaution.

Following this fall, the council decided to investigate a more suitable location for a new play area.

The photo below shows where the new playground will be.

Reading Chronicle: PICTURED: The old and new locationPICTURED: The old and new location

The new location has been chosen due to:

  • Its proximity to the pavilion, car park, toilets and the new planned activity centre
  • Ease of access from tarmac paths
  • Good ground conditions and no mature trees at risk
  • Lack of impact of sports and other activities in the park
  • Lack of impact on views onto Mansion House

According to the council, much of the rest of the park is used, at least for part of the year, for football, car boot sales, fun fairs, or temporary events car parking; the preferred new location is not ever used for any of these functions.

RBC also says the new location is further from busy roads and easy to find.

The new playground will have the same floor area as the current 2,500sqm playground.

READ MORE: Reading residents invited to vote on new playground designs

Park users, local residents and Reading’s Accessible Play Task and Finish Group will be consulted on the type of equipment they want to see.

RBC says it is likely the works will start in March 2022.

The current play area will remain open for public use until the new play area is open for use and will then become regular grass parkland.