A Cub Scouts leader is pushing to make a park and playground in Caversham more accessible for disabled children and residents.
There has also been a spat between the ruling Labour administration and the Conservatives over a claim that trees would have to be removed to facilitate accessibility.
Sarah Jones, a leader of the 69th Reading 1st Caversham Heights Scout Group, a mum of three, one of whom is a wheelchair user, is campaigning to make Albert Road Recreation Ground more accessible.
Submitting the petition at a Reading Borough Council meeting, she said: “Caversham Heights, as the name suggests, is on top of a hill, and this is precisely why access to our local park is so important for disabled children and adults.
“This is a well-loved community space, which, with some adaptations, could enable all to access it.
She then suggested replacing the old kissing gate with a wheelchair gate, reinstating the disabled parking bay in the car park, and installing wheelchair accessible play equipment.
She said: “Albert Road Recreation Ground should be a space for everyone. Please act now to make it inclusive.”
The recreation ground did undergo a £100,000 project last year that involved refurbishing the free tennis courts, an improved car park layout and a wheelchair-accessible entrance.
Adele Barnett-Ward (Labour, Thames), lead councillor for leisure, said: “We appreciate residents taking the time to highlight barriers faced by disabled children, young people, and adults. Creating safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces is a priority for the Council and is reflected in our wider programme of investment in play areas across Reading.
“Albert Road Recreation Ground was one of my nearest playgrounds when my children were younger, so I know it very well and have spent a great deal of time there.
“I agree wholeheartedly that this park should be a space for everyone. I hope that the Council’s strong recent record of investment in inclusive play demonstrates both our capability and our commitment.
“Our ambition for Albert Road Recreation Ground is for it to be a safe, accessible, and welcoming environment for all children and their families.”
She went on to explain that mature tree roots present a barrier to changes to the playground.
The council has been unable to identify a solution for altering or replacing the play equipment that would not result in the loss of some or all of the trees.
Cllr Barnett-Ward then agreed to visit the park with officers. The petition was submitted at the full council meeting on March 24.
The campaign has been supported by cllr Isobel Ballsdon (Conservative, Caversham Heights), who has clashed with Labour councillors over its Caversham Heights Rose leaflet that is headlined “Tory risk to trees”.
Posting on Facebook, cllr Ballsdon said: “This claim is both alarmist and untrue.
“Our community-backed campaign to make Albert Road Recreation Ground accessible to all does not put any trees at risk.”
She then called for the distribution of the leaflet to be seized.
Liz Terry (Labour, Coley), the council leader and head of the Labour group, said: “We always seek to make play areas as accessible as possible.
“The challenge in this case is that installing more equipment could risk harming trees, which made the upgrade more challenging than others we have planned.
As for the letters, they are not currently being delivered because the mailout has been completed.”
Cllr Ballsdon is standing to keep her seat in the borough council elections. A vacancy has been created following the resignation of Sam Juthani (Labour, Caversham Heights).
Jo Musominari has been selected as one of the candidates for Labour.
