The council secured the investment after hearing from families, experts and advocacy groups

Nearly £50,000 will be spent on Portsmouth’s play parks to make them more accessible for children with disabilities.

Portsmouth City Council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet approved the improvements at play areas across the city.

The funding follows a review by the council’s education, children and young people scrutiny panel, informed by advocacy groups, local families and accessibility experts.

Twelve play areas will receive funding, with grants ranging from £600 to £12,000. The sites include Tamworth, Baffins, Waterworks, Queen Street, Prospect Lane, Central Street, Prince Albert, Orchard Road, Alexandra Park, Buckland, Upper Church Path and Kingston Recreation Ground.

The improvements include replacing standard swings with disability swings, installing accessible carousels and creating paths to help wheelchair users reach play equipment.

Council officers said the programme represents “prioritised investment” that will be needed every year for the next five, seven or ten years “in order to achieve the improvements envisioned by the panel”, subject to successful bids for capital funding.

Councillor Darren Sanders raised concerns over Labour’s planned local government reorganisation, which could see Portsmouth City Council abolished and replaced by a new authority covering Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham and Havant.

He said the reorganisation would put work like this “seriously under threat” because “If this council doesn’t exist in 20 months then it seems a bit silly to review a play policy and then for the new authority to do it again”.

Cllr Nick Dorrington, cabinet lead for children, families and education, said play parks are not only for children but “for the parents” too, as they can “talk to each other and build unity with other parents” and “escape from the loneliness that you can find as being a parent”.

Cllr Kimberly Barrett referred to the recently opened Bransbury Park play area, saying she had seen it “absolutely full” of families, including children with disabilities using the accessible equipment.

“My kids adore it, they love a zipline so thankyou for the zipline – we don’t have to travel down to Tamworth Park anymore.”