Glen Gardens' rebuilt play area in Heworth is open, with a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and embankment slide chosen with pupils. Court and fencing are next.

The rebuilt play area at Glen Gardens in Heworth is open. Children from two local primary schools helped open it officially, and they had a hand in the design too. The council announced the opening on Friday 25 September.

Earlier this year, pupils from Tang Hall Primary School and Heworth Primary School were shown different design options and asked what they wanted to see. City of York Council says their feedback “directly influenced the final scheme” (City of York Council, 25 September 2026).

What is in the new play area

The council lists the new equipment as:

  • climbing structures
  • wobble beams
  • monkey bars
  • a timber agility trail
  • an embankment slide
  • a wheelchair-accessible roundabout
  • sensory play panels
  • a supportive swing seat

The last three are the inclusive pieces, meant for children who cannot use a standard roundabout or swing.

Who paid for it

The play area was paid for with developer contributions. That is money a developer is required to hand over when it gets planning permission for a larger scheme, usually through a section 106 agreement.

It sits inside a wider programme. The council approved a £750,000 Parks Investment Fund in last year’s budget. With section 106 and other contributions added, the parks improvement programme comes to around £925,000, the council says.

Councillor Bob Webb, executive member for children, young people and education, said the pupils’ ideas “helped create a play space that is fun, welcoming and inclusive”.

Councillor Jenny Kent, executive member for environment, said the fund would “address a longstanding need for parks improvement across the city, including for those that missed out on funding in previous years”.

What comes next at Glen Gardens

Updated 1 October: the Executive report is now published. It puts the Glen Gardens basketball court (new surface, goals and fencing, £45,000) out to tender this month, and lists all 19 schemes. Read our full report on the Parks Investment Fund.

The park is not finished. Its basketball court is to be resurfaced and its perimeter fencing replaced. Those are among around 20 schemes paid for by the Parks Investment Fund.

The council says play areas in Westfield, Clifton and Hull Road have already been improved under the programme, with “several others due for completion in the next six months”.

A progress report on the fund goes to the council’s Executive meeting on Tuesday 6 October. The report names the other parks in line for work: see our Parks Investment Fund story.

What it means for you

  • If you live in Heworth or Tang Hall: the play area is open now. Glen Gardens has an entrance on Bull Lane.
  • If your child uses a wheelchair or has sensory needs: the roundabout, sensory panels and supportive swing seat were built with them in mind.
  • If your local park is overdue for work: check the list of 19 schemes from the 6 October Executive report.
  • Planning more days out: our things to do in York page covers the city’s parks and family activities, and our October half term guide covers the school holiday.

Sources