Five Rotherham playgrounds set for major makeover in £586,000 investment
Sites earmarked for improvement include Wath Skate Park, Rosehill Victoria Park in Rawmarsh and Cherry Tree Park in Maltby
Five children’s playgrounds across Rotherham are set to be revamped as part of a new £586,000 investment programme announced by the council.
The sites earmarked for improvement include Wath Skate Park, Rosehill Victoria Park in Rawmarsh, Cherry Tree Park in Maltby, Ferham Park, and Packman Road Playground, Wath upon Dearne.
The funding will be drawn from the council’s children’s playgrounds programme, which was agreed last year, along with an additional £50,000 from ward-level community infrastructure levy (CIL) funding for Wath.
The council manages 37 play areas and four skate parks, but says it has no dedicated budget for replacing old equipment, only for basic maintenance and safety checks. Many sites, a council report states , are well past their expected lifespan and have little hope of replacement without intervention.
The latest decision follows the rollout of phase one, which included works at Thrybergh and Rother Valley Country Parks, as well as Chestnut Grove. Phase two is now expected to begin later this year, with work running through to March 2027.
Sites were selected based on factors such as physical condition, lack of other funding, deprivation levels, and even whether equipment had been removed due to damage.
Old Hall playground in Kimberworth is being kept in reserve in case any of the selected sites prove unviable. The Packman Way site, for example, sits on a former landfill and may need ground contamination testing before any work begins.
The council says it will now carry out consultation on the detailed designs, including with local residents, ward councillors, children and young people, and children with disabilities.
The upgrades are expected to deliver long-term savings on repairs and maintenance, freeing up funds to keep other play areas safe.
An equalities impact assessment included in the report said the goal was to make all refurbished playgrounds inclusive and within a five-minute walk of local homes wherever possible.
Playgrounds will be designed to include equipment for children of different ages and abilities, and the council has committed to ensuring safe, welcoming spaces across a wide geographical area.
Works are due to begin in December 2025, with the first site expected to reopen soon after. All five new playgrounds are expected to be in place by spring 2027.
The council says a contingency fund is in place to manage potential cost increases. If funds remain after phase two, a ninth playground could also benefit.