Some play areas will be open on 4 July

Wokingham Borough Council announce phased re-opening of Playgrounds

Playgrounds are set to swing back into action from Saturday 4 July. In line with the Government’s latest guidance, Wokingham Borough Council is working hard to safely open its play areas to the public. The council will operate a staggered approach, in opening each of its 99 playgrounds, ensuring each site meets the Covid-19 safety guidance.

From 8am on Saturday, the council’s localities team will head out across the borough to individually assess each location. The openings will take place over the next week, with the expectation that bigger destination play areas will open first, where deemed safe to do so.  Dinton Pastures and California Country Park, anticipate opening each site playgrounds on Tuesday 7 July.

Local town and parish council’s will also be taking a staggered approach to opening their play areas across the borough to ensure that they are safe to use.

Visitors may find some pieces of equipment with notices not to use them.  This is to ensure that the two-metre distance can be adhered to, along with signage outlining safety measures. If residents do find that a park remains closed, it is most likely that our team is working to fix a health and safety issue, such as broken equipment or facilities. We would like to remind residents not to use parks that are closed, for their own safety.

Play park users are asked to adhere to the following guidance to keep themselves and others safe when using the play areas:

• Don’t use the play area if you have symptoms of coronavirus
• Keep 2m apart at all times
• Wash your hands before and after entering the playground
• Catch any coughs or sneezes in a tissue and dispose of it safely
• Only one child on equipment at any time
• Only one parent or carer per child where possible
• No food or drink to be consumed in the play area on equipment at any time
• Bring your own hand sanitiser, gel or wipes
• Limit your stay to 30 minutes at busy times
• Please take your litter home with you if the bins are full

All of the borough’s play areas will be inspected weekly to make sure they are safe, and we will continually review the effectiveness of the enhanced guidance on keeping safe during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Starting on Monday 6 July, there will be daily updates to the news site with a list of playgrounds that are open. The Council aims to have all suitable locations open by Saturday 11 July. Families are asked to check the news site before heading out.