Knowsley Village Recreation Ground, Prescot - Playground Redevelopment (008436)

Knowsley Council (landowners), alongside Knowsley Town Council (leaseholders) and the Friends of Knowsley Village Recreation Ground (community stakeholders), are seeking to deliver a new outdoor play facility to serve the Knowsley Village community, which is a relatively rural location within the otherwise urbanised Knowsley Borough.

Existing play facilities contain aging equipment, with recent RoSPA checks on the facilities identifying equipment to be nearing end of it’s lifespan. They fall significantly short of meeting the contemporary play needs of children within the Village, which sets families at a disadvantage in the personal and social development of their children.

It is proposed that the existing facilities will be decommissioned and a new high quality play facility invested in at the central location of the Recreation Ground. This facility would be intended to serve the needs of toddlers and younger children, as well as provide challenge for older children aged 8-13 years

The project aims to support the personal/social/physical development of children up to 13 yrs old, through enhancement of a freely accessible outdoor play facility in this relatively rural setting, which faces relative isolation from these amenities compared to other surrounding urbanised areas.

The rationale behind the project is a recognition that existing play facilities in the Village are not fit for purpose and nearing the end of their lifespan. Local consultation has identified this as a key priority with consistent feedback from parents & children through all partners involved.

Knowsley stands as the UK’s 11th most deprived borough, with children being at increased risk of poor educational attainment and vulnerability to engage in crime & anti-social behaviour. Indeed, the existing poor condition of play facilities have made the site a focus for anti-social behaviour, consolidating the site’s limited play value and risks to local child development.