Press Release

2 September 2025

Fareham Park play area officially open

Fareham Borough Council is delighted to announce that Fareham Park play area was officially opened by the Mayor, Councillor Louise Clubley, on Monday 1 September.

Funded by up to £400,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the new accessible play area and multi-use social area (MUSA) at Fareham Park Recreation Ground was completed following a comprehensive consultation, including public meetings, surveys, and engagement with the Council’s ‘Let’s Talk Fareham’ Facebook group.

Fareham Park play area was designed and built by play company, Eibe. As well as providing Henry Cort Community College and St Columba School each with an electronic tablet, Eibe donated £250 to Hampshire Food Revolution and contributed towards 600 new trees which will be planted towards the end of this year.

The play area is the first in the borough to include a wheelchair accessible seesaw. Other features include a wheelchair accessible multi-unit, toddler multi-unit, comfortable hammock seating, a 100m running track plus a mini running track for toddlers. The MUSA comprises an area for ball games, gym equipment, a Nina Warrior style trail and a winner’s podium.

Other improvements, funded by around £50,000 from the UKSPF, include new football fences, a pathway linking the north and south route of the recreation ground, the planting of new trees, new line marking in the car park and new wooden fencing between the recreation ground and the car park.

The Mayor cut the ribbon at the official opening event, where children were given goody bags and treated to a free Play Rangers session.

Alongside the opening, Fareham Housing hosted another Estate Action Day for tenants living in and around Fareham Park. It was a great opportunity to talk about local neighbourhood issues, share ideas on how we can improve our housing services, discuss the ongoing development, and explore ways to get involved in tenant engagement. More information about tenant engagement events can be found at the Council’s website: www.fareham.gov.uk/housing/my_council_tenancy/tenant_engagement/intro.aspx.

Executive Member for Leisure and Community at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Connie Hockley, said:

“I am delighted that phase one of the Fareham Park project has come to fruition with the opening of this wonderful play area. With the inclusion of accessible equipment and a design that caters for all ages, this really is a space for everyone to enjoy for years to come.”

Fareham Park play area was the first step in a programme to transform the existing Fareham Park community and leisure facilities. The old play area next to Fareham North-West Community Centre has been removed, and phase two of the programme has progressed with an outline planning application for a new community centre at Fareham Park having been approved. Council Officers are working on refining the plans with local representatives and community organisations to make sure that they meet the community need. Providing adequate parking, benefiting nature and ensuring adequate drainage are all focal to the plans as they develop.

For more information about the Council’s Fareham Park project, please visit www.fareham.gov.uk/farehampark.

To take part in current and future consultations, residents can join the Council’s Facebook group, Let’s Talk Fareham: www.fareham.gov.uk/letstalkfareham.

Alternatively, residents can have their say at www.fareham.gov.uk/consultations.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

The play and recreational facilities element of the Fareham Park Project has received up to £400,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. More information about the vision for Fareham Park can be found here: www.fareham.gov.uk/farehampark.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.

Transforming Fareham Park is a key project in Fareham Borough Council’s Corporate Strategy: Leisure opportunities for wellbeing and fun.