Two new playgrounds in St Helier could be ready by spring 2025 if £750,000 plans are approved

Children could be playing in the new parks by spring 2025. Credit: Redlynch

Plans have been submitted by the Parish of St Helier to refurbish an existing playground and build a new one, costing a combined total of £750,000.

The current park will be designed for children seven and over, while the other will be for those aged six and under - both in Parade Gardens.

The Parish has proposed building the new playground next to the existing café.

The £750,000 budget from increased parish rates was approved in July and if plans are accepted, the playgrounds could be completed by spring 2025.

The project aims to renew outdated equipment at the current Parade Gardens Park and bring in inclusive play equipment.

Some grass areas will be lost but the proposal does not involve the removal of any trees.

Illustrations of what the new inclusive park equipment could look like. Credit: Redlynch

The new playground aimed at those aged six and under will have a variety of equipment, including three cradle seat swings, a spinning dish, bable drums, a xylophone, a playhouse, a climbing frame, a mound tunnel, a slide, play logs, a giant rope snake, a hammock swing and a spring rocker.

A seating area will also be installed for parents and carers to supervise.

The proposed slide will have a nature-inspired design. Credit: Parish of St Helier / Redlynch

Surfaces throughout the park will use materials to support and stimulate sensory play, such as:

  • Touch – different leaves, rough, smooth, shiny, thick, thin.

  • Smell – fragrant herbs, flowers and ground cover.

  • Sight – a seasonal variation of colour as planting changes the play space through the seasons.

  • Hear – bamboo and wind through planting creates sound throughout the year, leaves in the autumn.

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