Children's play areas
Play area refurbishment project
We're working on an exciting £800,000 project to refurbish the Priory Park; Oaklands Park; Parklands; Amphitheatre; Whyke Oval; and Florence Park play areas in Chichester! Thanks to the support of Chichester City Council, our plans also include enhancing Oaklands Park so that it becomes a flagship 'destination' play area. To help provide more information about this project, we have developed a range of Frequently Asked Questions.
When are you refurbishing these play areas?
Work to upgrade Priory Park and Whyke Oval play areas will begin on Monday 2 June 2025, and work will begin at Parklands on Monday 30 June. These play areas are expected to be re-opened in July, ready for the school summer holidays.
Work to transform Oaklands Park into a 'destination' play area is expected to begin on Monday 30 June. The final phase requires consent from Historic England and, if approved, will focus on delivering improvements to the Amphitheatre play area - it's hoped that this work will take place towards the end of the summer.
In spring 2025, the council completed a 'light touch' refurbishment of Florence Road play area, and the new and improved play area is now open.
Will I still be able to access a play area during the refurbishment period?
Yes — we are taking a phased approach to the play area improvements to ensure that at least two play areas will always be open while the refurbishment work is taking place.
Can I view the designs for each of the play areas?
Yes — we have created a video showing the artistic impressions of the final design schemes for each of the play areas.
Have you consulted with people who use these play areas?
Yes, gathering and taking on board feedback from the children, parents, and carers who use our play areas is a very important part of this process. In summer 2024, members of our Green Spaces team spent time at each of the sites, talking to people about how they use the space and equipment, and gathering their ideas for improvements. We also consulted with Chichester Festival Theatre, who are based on Oaklands Park site, as well as local sports clubs, churches and schools that use our parks. We used all of the feedback gathered during this consultation phase to help shape the final designs.
We then ran a public consultation from 3 March to 31 March 2025, inviting people to share their views on the designs, and the comments we received help us shape our final plans.
Why are you refurbishing these?
We know that outside play areas are vital for helping our children develop physically, socially, creatively and emotionally, and so it's important that our play areas are in top condition. Recently, our play areas have started to look a bit tired, and they are now in need of an upgrade. The level of work required varies from site to site — at some of the play areas, 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.
What refurbishments can we expect to see in these play areas?
Our new and improved play areas will offer an experience for a range of ages and abilities including the opportunity to learn, interact, imagine and play together. The designs will ensure that the play areas are accessible and inclusive; are fun and enjoyable to use; designed to challenge different age groups; encourage creativity; and, provide a space for everyone to play and socialise together.
We have taken inspiration from the play areas' locations and environments, and each park will have a different design 'theme'. For example, Priory Park will have a castle theme to reflect the site's Norman history, featuring a castle climbing frame and slide, and the designs for Parklands are coastal themed with a dolphin play panel and 'under the sea' tunnel.
What is a destination play area?
Usually larger than an average play park, a destination play area offers a wider range of creative pieces of play equipment to entertain people for a longer period of time. This type of play area serves as a 'day out' for local residents as well as visitors from further afield who will travel for the bespoke experience. With the support and additional investment from Chichester City Council, we aim to make our new Oaklands Park 'destination play area' a unique, engaging and exciting experience for all. We believe our plans for this park will benefit our local communities, while also acting as an attractive draw to the city for those outside the area, which will help to support the local economy.
Will the play areas be accessible and inclusive?
Yes - it's really important to us that all of our play areas are open and accessible to everyone, and so our plans 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, Parents and Carers Support Organisation (PACSO), and incorporated their feedback into the designs.
Will the play areas be usable all-year-round?
We have carefully considered how the play areas will be surfaced and have chosen a material — known as 'wet pour' — which dries very quickly after rain. This will make it easier for people to use the play areas all year round, whatever the weather.
Will astro turf be used?
No - our play areas will have a combination of natural grass and 'wetpour' safety surfacing under the equipment to make it accessible to all users. Wetpour is made from entirely recycled materials and can be recycled again in the future. It also dries very quickly after rain, which will make it easier for people to use the play areas all year round, whatever the weather.
Can you add a splash pad or water play in the play areas?
Although we have looked into this option, unfortunately the costs of installing and maintaining splash pads is very high and the budget that we have available for refurbishments can't stretch to accommodate this on this occasion.
Can you add more benches?
While we're keen to focus as much of our budget as possible on refurbishing and adding play equipment, we have been able to add some additional benches to the scheme designs. It may be possible to add even more benches in the future if funds become available.
Why is the Amphitheatre play area smaller than the others?
The Amphitheatre is a scheduled ancient monument and protected by legislation that helps protect it from being damaged. Due to this, we need to gain approval from Historic England to make changes to the play area. The designs we are putting forward aim to meet the requirements needed for this approval, which include the need for the proposals to be in keeping with the setting. A small play area with a Roman theme stands a much better chance of being approved. Our other parks don't require this approval, and so we have more design flexibility at these sites.
Can we have sand in the play areas?
Having reviewed the comments from our recent public consultation, we can see that there is a very mixed opinion about the use of sand in play areas. Some users want to see sand features, while others do not. We've decided not to include it in the proposals due to the damaging effect it has on play equipment and surfacing. All of our play areas will be surfaced with wetpour so they can be enjoyed by users all year round.
What is best - timber or metal play equipment?
Both are being used in our designs, and 95% of all the metal or plastic materials being used have been recycled.
What other features have been considered?
In addition to the features mentioned previously, we've also made sure that our plans for the sites include fenced play areas, litter and dog waste bins, bike racks or places for bikes to be secured, and plenty of seating.
How did you select the contractor that will carry out this work?
In line with the council's policy to ensure that we get best value for the money we spend, we carried out a tender exercise last year in which we invited special play park companies to submit proposals within a set timeframe, brief and budget. The proposals we received were then assessed against a set criteria and the best bid was selected. The appointment of the successful contractor was agreed by Cabinet in January 2024.
How will the refurbished parks be maintained?
We visually inspect our play areas three times a week, and carry out a full inspection once a month. Any maintenance issues that are identified during these inspections will then be carried out.
Play equipment
Fixed play equipment is provided throughout the district, by housing associations, parish councils and the District Council. The District Council Parks team maintain six play areas which are located in Chichester at:
- Amphitheatre - Velyn Avenue PO19 7UP
- Florence Road Park, Florence Road PO19 7PX
- Oaklands Park- Wellington Road PO19 6BB
- Priory Park, Priory Road PO19 1LA
- Parklands, Sherborne Road PO19 3LE
- Whyke Oval, Hay Road PO19 8BL
Florence Road Park and Whyke Oval also include a multi use games area.
The Westgate Skate Park, positioned behind Westgate Leisure Centre, Chichester is operated by Everyone Active (opens new window). For all enquiries please contact Everyone Active direct.
Regular park inspections
All play areas and multi use games areas are inspected regularly, and an independent risk assessment is carried out annually. However, if you find a problem, notice any vandalism or have a query please contact the Parks team.
Contact us
For further information and advice email parks@chichester.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can phone us on 01243 785166.
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