Work on splash pads at Hersham, Cobham and Molesey Hurst starts in early November, two months sooner than planned, and should finish by March 2027.

Building work on three splash pads in Elmbridge parks is due to start in early November. The sites are:

  • Hersham Recreation Ground, where the existing splash pad is being replaced
  • Leg O’Mutton Recreation Ground, Cobham, a new splash pad
  • Molesey Hurst Recreation Ground, a new splash pad

Elmbridge Borough Council announced the start on 28 October. It expects the work to be finished by March 2027. Each splash pad will then be tested and commissioned before it opens “for the summer”, the council says. It has not given opening dates yet.

That is earlier than planned. When the project went to Cabinet in September, the council’s Water Play Strategy Update said works were “expected to commence January 2027”. Starting in November gives the contractors about two more months before the deadline.

That deadline matters. The programme has to be complete before 1 April 2027, when Elmbridge Borough Council is abolished and its services pass to the new East Surrey Council. We set out that timetable, and the £2.2 million budget, in September.

A theme for each park

The council says each splash pad will have its own theme, “inspired by nature and local heritage”:

Park Theme Inspired by
Leg O’Mutton, Cobham The Journey Above Brooklands aviation heritage, migrating birds, wind and changing weather
Hersham Ocean Adventure Marine life, coral reefs and ocean conservation
Molesey Hurst The Living Meadow Pollinators, wildflower meadows and woodland habitats
Three computer-generated design images of splash pads in parks, each with fountains, water jets, play features, fencing and children playing
The council's design images for the three splash pads, as published with its announcement. Image: Elmbridge Borough Council

Using less water

All three will recirculate their water, the council says. The system “filters, treats and reuses water rather than sending it directly to waste”. They will also have:

  • timed play features
  • “intelligent control systems that only operate when needed”

The Cabinet paper had set a preference for recirculating water “where utilities allow”. The announcement now says it applies to all three. The paper also said the splash pads are mainly for children under six, and asked for solar panels where feasible.

Cllr Simon Waugh, the council’s portfolio holder for leisure, said the work was “a significant investment in outdoor recreation and family-friendly facilities across Elmbridge”. The new splash pads would “provide free, accessible outdoor fun for children”, he said.

The announcement does not give the cost, name the contractor or say whether any of the three needed planning permission.

What it means for you

  • Expect fencing. From early November there will be temporary fencing, contractors and construction equipment at all three parks while the work goes on.
  • Hersham families: the existing splash pad, which the council says is “reaching the end of its operational life”, is the one being replaced.
  • Opening dates will be announced “closer to completion”, the council says. We will add them here when it does.

Sources