'Pop up play areas' planned for Oxford city centre
The idea is to make the city more 'family friendly'
Plans to introduce temporary ‘pop up play areas’ in Oxford city centre have been championed by campaigners, who say it is a positive step towards making the city more family friendly.
Leiden Square in Westgate, Broad Street and Castle Quarter will host the ten pop-up events aimed at younger children on different days from late May until July.
The events, which are a joint effort between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council, will feature different play items including soft play, sensory play, play that supports motor skill development, nature-themed play and educational play.
The county council say that the pop-up spaces will give them the opportunity to test how a play area would fit in a city centre environment, understand what kind of play children prefer and determine a suitable location for a playground in the city centre.
This comes as a petition to build a permanent playground in the city centre, which was set up by campaign group Oxplay, surpassed 2,000 signatures.
A spokesperson for Oxplay said: “We are both delighted and encouraged that Oxfordshire County Council is providing play spaces via pop up play events across Oxford city centre.
“We believe that making space for play in the city centre means making space for families; making our wonderful city more family friendly.
“We believe that attracting families is good for the city and good for business and we hope that the pop ups progress into one or more permanent fixtures in the city.
“We congratulate Oxfordshire County Council for taking the lead and encourage Oxford City Council to work with them on delivering a more permanent solution.”
The group do not have a firm view on where the playground could go.
Councillor Katharine Miles, Lib Dem city councillor for Summertown, said the plans were “definitely a move in the right direction”.
She added: “We need to reclaim the city centre for children by providing play facilities.
“There’s a clear consensus that Oxford city centre needs to improve to become child friendly.
“By having a place for young children to relax and play safely, it will draw in more visitors and residents to the city centre.
“It will also be positive for the economy, because it makes parents more likely to stay in the city centre for longer.
“Testing different models for play facilities in different locations across the city will provide a good opportunity to learn about what works and where there is demand for such facilities.
“The pop-up events are for early years children, and what we look forward to seeing in the future is something that serves older children.”
Oxford City Council have allocated £60,000 in the budget towards a feasibility study to work out permanent options for a city centre play space.
The Oxfordshire Play Association will lead the pop-up events with trained play workers.
Various organisations, including the Ashmolean, the Story Museum and Oxford Castle and Prison, will be offering activities such as story time sessions and art workshops, with more details due to come out ahead of the events.
The events will take place from 11am until 3pm on the following days:
Wednesday, May 28 (Leiden Square)
Wednesday, June 4 (Broad Street)
Wednesday, June 11 (Castle Quarter)
Tuesday, June 17 (Castle Quarter)
Wednesday, June 18 (Castle Quarter)
Wednesday, June 25 (Leiden Square)
Tuesday, July 1 (Castle Quarter)
Wednesday, July 9 (Broad Street)
Wednesday, July 16 (Leiden Square)
Tuesday, July 22 (Castle Quarter)