District Dispatch - 28 January 2025

Outside play areas are vital to help our children develop physically, socially, creatively, and emotionally. This is why we'll be investing £800,000 to refurbish our play areas at Sherbourne Road; Whyke Oval; the Amphitheatre; Florence Park; Priory Park; and Oaklands Park.

The level of work required in each of the play areas varies. At some of sites, the equipment has been there a long time and needs to be replaced; while at a couple of the sites, most of the equipment is in very good condition and so the area will only need a light touch refurbishment.

It's really important to us that our play areas are open and accessible to everyone, and so we've made sure that our plans for all of the sites feature a range of inclusive play equipment that can be used by disabled children and those with health conditions and impairments. To help with this, we worked closely with a local children's charity and incorporated their feedback into the designs for our new and improved play areas.

We've also been busy consulting with people who use our play areas. Last year, members of our Green Spaces team spent time at each of the sites, talking to children, parents, and carers about how they use the play equipment. We also gathered their ideas for improvements and used this feedback to help shape the designs.

During that initial consultation, users of Florence Park felt that the play area and equipment was of a good condition and so only a 'light touch' refurbishment was needed. This means that Florence Park will be the first of the play areas to be refurbished and this work is due to be completed before the Easter holidays.

The other play areas I mentioned will be fully refurbished as part of a phased programme, which will ensure that no more than two of the play areas are out of action at any one time. We hope that work will begin after Easter but before we get started, we'll be running a consultation to give you the opportunity to let us know what you think of the final designs.

You'll be able to share your thoughts in our quick survey, which is due to launch in the next few weeks. Make sure you look out for our updates on this by following us on social media; visiting our Latest News column; and signing up to our monthly email newsletter.

If you would like to be notified as soon as the consultation starts, why not join our Let's Talk Panel and we'll contact you by email when the survey goes live. To find out more and to sign up, visit our Let's Talk Panel web page.

On the topic of consultations, I also wanted to mention that our 'Let's Talk: Housing' consultation is now live. To share your views on the aims and actions that we are considering including in our new Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, simply visit our 'Let's Talk: Housing' consultation (opens new window) before 5pm on Monday 3 March.

The new strategy, which covers the period 2025 to 2030, looks at how the council will work with partners to prevent people from becoming homeless; create and retain affordable housing for young people and families; address the housing needs of older people; and improve housing standards for all of its residents. For background information about the consultation, including a range of frequently asked questions and a copy of the draft strategy, please visit our designated 'Let's Talk: Housing' consultation web hub (opens new window).

Thank you in advance for sharing your views in these important consultations!

Best Wishes

Cllr Mark Chilton
Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate Services and Chichester Contract Services at Chichester District Council