Worcester City Council knows that play is important for children and young people of all ages. Play helps people make friends, stay healthy and connected with each other.

In 2019 the South Worcestershire Open Space Assessment (SWOSPA) revealed a deficit in children’s play spaces in Worcester.

It identified an 18% shortfall in the provision of play space for younger children, based on a metric of open space per child in the city. For youth provision the shortfall was significantly higher.

In late 2022 the City Council, in conjunction with Harper Perry, undertook a ‘mapping the gaps’ analysis to locate existing public play spaces across the city of Worcester, and to identify where the shortfall of provision was most apparent.

The Worcester City Play Plan 2022-2027 provides an evidence base on which a strategic plan has been drawn up for the delivery of high-quality play and outdoor youth facilities to meet the needs and aspirations of children, young people and their families and carers.

You can view the full Worcester City Play Plan below:

The Splashpad in Gheluvelt Park is a popular free water play facility which is open daily between May and September each year.

After 15 years of use the facility had become unreliable and required regular repairs.

During 2025 the City Council invested £366,000 in a new water filtration system and safety surface for the facility, alongside new pumps and a water holding tank.

Several of the popular water features were also repaired.

The Worcester City Play Plan resulted in the Council building the city’s first track at Battenhall Park, which opened in November 2024. with an investment of £60,000.

The pump track is designed to offer a safe and fun environment for riding bikes, scooters, skates and skateboards.

This was followed by a much larger ‘destination’ pump track adjacent to Perdiswell Leisure Centre, which opened in March 2026 with an investment of £210,000.

The outdoor track includes an access loop for learners, alongside a challenge track for intermediate and experienced users.

With large parking capacity, and access to public toilets and a cafe this facility has very quickly become a ‘destination’ venue for pump track enthusiasts, with users travelling from across the city and from much further afield.