Fareham Borough Council is pleased to announce that improvements to its town centre play area on West Street will begin this spring, subject to weather conditions and licensing agreements.

This work will be funded by UK Shared Prosperity Funding, and feeds into the Council’s Town Centre Regeneration Strategy to give Fareham a busier and greener town centre that is easier to move around and feels safe, welcoming and loved.

The new West Street play area will provide a high-quality, inclusive and engaging play space, which has been thoughtfully designed to celebrate Fareham’s distinctive maritime heritage, civic identity, and vibrant town centre character.

Designed for children aged 3–12, the play area creates a welcoming environment that encourages active play for all abilities while reinforcing a strong sense of place. It will also provide a family-friendly space within West Street, with social seating and landscaping framing the space.

New items of equipment will include wheelchair-accessible units, surfacing and ground-level play features; sensory-rich equipment catering to neurodiverse children and vestibular stimulation such as the ‘Spinner Bowl’ and ‘Sunflower Swing’; braille and communication boards supporting children with visual and language needs and more social play opportunities for mixed-age and mixed-ability groups.  These elements ensure that all children, regardless of ability, can engage meaningfully and socially with the space.

Following an engagement exercise where children were asked to design their perfect play space, the works will now be carried out by the UK’s number one playground equipment supplier, KOMPAN, which were awarded the contract following a competitive tender process.

Executive Member for Leisure and Community at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Connie Hockley, said: “I’m delighted that our plans for the town centre play area have been agreed and that work will start later this spring. Outdoor play is so important for children’s health and wellbeing, and our inclusive new play equipment will ensure that all children can enjoy quality play time for many years to come.”

For more information about the play area improvement programme, please visit www.fareham.gov.uk/playareaimprovements.

To find out more about the Council’s town centre regeneration plans, go to www.fareham.gov.uk/towncentreregen.