15 council play areas in Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Leominster, Leintwardine and Wigmore pass to local councils with new money. Objections close 2 November.
Fifteen children’s play areas owned by Herefordshire Council are being handed to the town and parish councils around them. Seven are in Ledbury. The rest are in Ross-on-Wye, Leominster, Leintwardine and Wigmore. None is in Hereford.
The council’s Corporate Director of Economy and Environment approved the transfers on 9 October. The record of the decision was published on 15 October. A statutory notice gives anyone who objects until Monday 2 November to say so.
Which play areas
The decision record lists:
| New owner | Play areas |
|---|---|
| Ledbury Town Council | Browning Road, Kemply Brook, Prince Rupert Road, Yeomans Close, John Lee Road, Deer Park (Villa Way), Childer Road |
| Ross-on-Wye Town Council | Beech Close, Roman Way, Grammar School Close |
| Leominster Town Council | Barons Cross Estate, Ridgemoor Road, St Botolphs |
| Leintwardine Group Parish Council | The Criftins housing estate |
| Wigmore Group Parish Council | Toddler play area, Kings Meadow |
As the crow flies, Leintwardine is about 22 miles north-west of Hereford and Wigmore about 19. Ledbury is about 12 miles east, Ross-on-Wye 11 miles south-east and Leominster 12 miles north.
Why the council is doing it
The transfers come with money. In October 2025 the cabinet member for local engagement and community resilience, Councillor Dan Hurcomb, approved a £1 million capital fund for play areas. It covers 2025/26 and 2026/27, at £500,000 a year.
The report behind that decision set the terms. The council was then responsible for 64 play areas across the county. It said several needed old or failing equipment replaced, or better surfaces so they are safe and accessible.
The money was offered only to local councils willing to take a play area over. The report says:
- the town or parish council chooses a supplier, designs the play area and manages the work
- the money is paid over, and the play area then transfers to the local council
- future maintenance becomes the local council’s responsibility, so there is no ongoing cost to Herefordshire Council
- £50,000 of the fund was set aside for project management and legal work on the transfers
All city, town and parish councils were invited to put sites forward in the first quarter of 2026, according to the decision record. It says each of the five councils on the list “formally applied for and agreed to the transfer” and put forward detailed plans.
The record also sets out the alternative. Without the transfers, the council says it could not make the improvements. It would keep maintaining all 15 sites from its existing revenue budget.
That budget is under strain. When councillors from all groups were briefed in July 2025, the report records a comment that “the current budget for maintenance is insufficient”. Some councillors also asked for a rolling five-year programme, so smaller parishes had time to take part.
What is not published
The decision record does not say how much each play area will get, or what the new equipment will be. Neither document says when the work will be done. We will report each town’s plans when its council publishes them.
What it means for you
- The play areas are not closing. They change owner, and the transfer is how they get the new money.
- Your town council will run them. Problems with equipment, litter or safety will go to Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye or Leominster Town Council, or to Leintwardine or Wigmore parish council, once the transfer is complete. Until then, report them to Herefordshire Council as now.
- Upkeep will come from the local council’s budget. That is the point of the 2025 report: maintenance moves off Herefordshire Council’s books for good.
- You can object until Monday 2 November. Objections must be in writing to Herefordshire Council at Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE, or by email to the officer named in the notice. Plans of the land can be inspected at Plough Lane.
- In Hereford, none of the city’s play areas is on this list. They stay with Herefordshire Council.
Sources
- Herefordshire Council, record of officer decision: transfer of council-owned play areas to town and parish councils, decided 9 October 2026, published 15 October 2026.
- Herefordshire Council, notice of the disposal of children’s play areas, Public Notice Portal, 8 October 2026.
- Herefordshire Council, written statement of key decision: play area investment, 3 October 2025.
- Herefordshire Council, play area investment report, 2025.
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