Children’s play areas and playgrounds in Leeds to reopen on Thursday

From July 16, Leeds Council will begin to reopen sites including the playground at the Arium, two at Roundhay Park and the playground at Temple Newsam.

The reopening programme is being done gradually to ensure they meet the requirements set out in government guidelines around cleaning and social distancing before they can be re-opened safely, the council said.

There are more than 200 play areas and outdoor gyms across Leeds with over 2,000 pieces of equipment.

The council said it will therefore take time to re-open all of our play areas and playgrounds and thanked Leeds residents for their patience.

The following parks will be reopened on Thursday 16 July:

The playground at the Arium

The playground and adventure playground at Lotherton Hall

The playground at Middleton Park

The two playgrounds at Roundhay Park along with outdoor gym equipment

The playground at Temple Newsam

Signage will be installed on the sites to remind users regarding social distancing, hygiene, not eating food or drink and limiting numbers including on relevant pieces of equipment. If the playground or equipment is busy then people are asked to be patient to enable social distancing. The playgrounds and equipment will not be supervised, and will rely on people acting responsibly. Please be aware that in some cases it will be necessary for example to remove some swing seats to ensure social distancing is maintained.

The council will continue to monitor government guidance and consideration will be given to re-opening further playgrounds once all appropriate work and checks have been carried out.

For the time being all other playgrounds and play areas will remain closed and Leeds Council ask people to please refrain from using them.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and active lifestyles said: “It is fantastic that we are able to open some of our play areas again. I would like to thank all the parents and children for being patient. It has been very difficult but we need to keep everyone safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“We are grateful for your continued patience as we work towards making sure the equipment is cleaned and safe for use in line with government guidance.

“We ask the public to remain responsible, stay socially distant, and both adults and children need to follow good hygiene practices to ensure the play areas can be enjoyed by everyone.”

______

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds. https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/why-yorkshire-evening-post-needs-your-support-laura-collins-yep-editor-2913382

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins