Diggers have broken ground on a new half-a-million pound playground in Reading.

Roundabouts, swings, climbing towers, slides and a zipwire are set to be installed in Prospect Park.

The flagship playpark project will contain a ground-level roundabout, braille panels, lower-level inclusive play net, accessible see-saw, tactile panels, ground-level games, and a large accessible springer.

“I am excited to see work get underway to create this wonderful new play area, which offers a fantastic range of great play equipment with something for children of all ages and abilities,” said Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture.

“Between the new play area and The Ranger Station, opposite, we are investing over £1m in Prospect Park: it is one of the town’s destination parks so it is vital that the facilities are accessible to all children.

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“The aim is to complete the play area in time to provide free family fun for next year’s school summer holidays."

As part of the work there are plans to create a pedestrian access path from the car park to the play area, with a new pedestrian crossing.

Tom Charman, project manager, HAGS, said: “The delivery of the HAGS play area at Prospect Park is going very well.

“We are continuing to progress with the installation of the new play equipment working in partnership with Reading BC to deliver this unique play space, and we very much looking forward to opening it up to the Reading community soon.”

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Once the new play area is open the second phase will be to remove the existing play area and reinstate the area back to informal grass parkland.

A £500k multi-use activity centre partially opened in part of the pavilion building in Prospect Park, which sits directly opposite the new play area.

The mini-golf and Sky Tykes low ropes activity opened at the centre opened over the summer, with the other facilities – including a café - opening next year.