Project
Info
Introduction
The King George V Playing Fields in Exeter has long been a popular place for community recreation, offering a green space for play, sports, and outdoor activities in line with the legacy of King George V and the protection of Fields in Trust.
The KGV project aims to enhance and expand these facilities to serve the community even better. Planned additions include new PlayZones, a 3G sports pitch, and a transformed health and wellbeing hub in the renovated building. These improvements are designed to provide modern, accessible amenities while preserving the natural landscape and the field’s historic character.
Through this project, Exeter City Community Trust are committed to honouring the ethos of KGV Playing Fields as a vital space for active, healthy lifestyles across generations.
Areas of Focus
The project has several key aims, each reflecting the principles of King George V Playing Fields and the Fields in Trust, alongside the mission and values of Exeter City Community Trust:
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Develop New Health, Wellbeing & Leisure Facilities
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Protect & Enhance the Natural Environment
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Create a Gateway to the Riverside Valley Park
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Deliver Community Developed Provision
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Reduce Barriers to Participation for:
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People of All Ages
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Women & Girls
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Para Sports Activities
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Lower Socio-Economic Groups
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Ethnic Minorities
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Local Residents & Community Stakeholders
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Provide Physical Activity & Social Inclusion for All
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Facilitate Outstanding Youth Development
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Enhance Usage, Safety & Security
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Increase Community Pride
Facilities
In order to achieve these aims, the project steering group has created a vision for the site for consultation and review prior to a formal planning application at the end of Decemberr, 2024.
Throughout, the mission has been to safeguard the site, including the play park and natural environment, whilst upgrading existing facilities and adding new ones:
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Improvements to existing grass pitches
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Existing tennis courts refurbished and resurfaced
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Leisure garden and picnic area
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2 x Play Zones (see more below)
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91m x 55m 3G artificial grass pitch with floodlighting
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Woodland trails and walkways
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Improvements to car parking areas
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Refurbishment to existing pavilion with single-story extension, to include:
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Cafe & Event Space
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Accessible changing rooms & changing spaces
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Multi-use rooms / office spaces
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External WC facilities
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Option for first floor vertical extension
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PlayZones
A playZone aims to deliver a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for all. It is an outdoor space that is usually the size of one or two tennis courts of a five-a-side kick around area, which can be used for a range of sports and activities such as basketball, cricket, football, netball, and tennis.
PlayZones are:
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Floodlit to enable year-round use for the community
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Delivered with high-quality surfacing such as 3G, polymeric; the surface type will depend on the activities chosen
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Subject to regular maintenance to retain the quality of the surface
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Provided with accessible information on how to use the PlayZone site
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Designed and operated based on feedback from the community
PlayZones come in all shapes and sizes and are developed in line with their future use.
