A campaign to make Oxford city centre more family friendly by building a children’s playground based on continental designs has been presented to the county council.

A group of residents who call themselves OxPlay created the petition because they feel concerned about the lack of play areas for children, making it more difficult for families to spend time in the city centre.

More than 1,700 people have signed the petition since it was set up at the end of September.

The petition was presented at the full Oxfordshire County Council meeting on Tuesday, November 6 at County Hall. 

Josie Procter, who set up the petition, told councillors: “We are a group of Oxfordshire residents asking the county council to work with the city council on providing some space for a children’s playground in the city centre.”

“We believe that Oxford city centre is great for retail, history and culture, but it’s terrible for families, and we believe that a significant barrier for families from all over the city and the county, plus tourists from beyond Oxfordshire who spend time and money in the city, is the lack of a safe space for kids to safely burn off their energy.

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“The closest play areas to the city centre are Friars Wharf, Jericho and the Angel and Greyhound, which are too far away to be viable for little legs on a city centre trip.

“Other great European cities with similar architectural heritage and tourist considerations have found ways of delivering this and becoming more family-friendly cities.

“New retail developments like Westfield and Battersea recognise the value of investing in play spaces and have baked them into the design of retail parks from the outset.

“We believe investing space in a city centre playground would have benefits for local businesses due to increased dwell time and health benefits for more active children.

“We are also aware that Oxford is undergoing a great deal of change right now, so I will ask this really simply: that a space for a playground or play spaces is baked into that change and that you work with the city council to deliver that.”

The chairwoman of the council, Alison Rooke, clarified that the county council may have to provide road space if the playground was built, but that Oxford City Council would make the decision about whether it would go ahead, and would be responsible for building it.

The petition will also be presented to the city council at the full council meeting later in the month.

The relevant county council officer will respond to the petition within 10 working days of the meeting.