A local disability advocacy and campaign group has praised Swindon Borough Council for its collaborative process in redeveloping a new inclusive children's play park in Coate Water.

Mums on a Mission (MOAM), a group of mothers who all have children with accessibility needs, are dedicated to making facilities in public spaces more suitable for people with a wide-range of disabilities.

They have been involved in the council's consultation process for the £500,000 development at every step of he way and recently attended a meeting to discuss what the park should include.

"We attended on Tuesday morning and looked through the initial landscape plan and talked through some of their ideas," said MOAM's Anna Bird

"We are really thrilled that we've been asked to put together a formal response and we'll include a number of recommendations for specific items of inclusive play equipment.

"For example, we will be strongly recommending the plans for Coate Water include Swindon's first wheelchair accessible swing in a public park. We will strongly recommend installing different types of inclusive swing, like a large nest swing that can be used by a number of children at once, and a swing with a high back so our children can sit up and see what's going on. And we will strongly recommend that other equipment that is installed - like roundabouts, slides and trampolines - are fully accessible.

"It is also very important to us that the new park is accessible to parents who have disabilities too. We've consulted a parent who is partially sighted and a parent who uses a powered wheelchair and have a list of recommendations from them which will also be included in our formal response.

"Our children have complex needs and it is currently this group that is most underrepresented in Swindon's play parks. Our children love to spend time outdoors, and want to visit play areas with their friends and their siblings, and this is why we've been lobbying Swindon Borough Council for a flagship inclusive play park in the town since 2020.

"Therefore we're really delighted that we're being involved in the design process, and we are hoping it will result in a play park that's both accessible and inclusive."

The council has said it will be going to tender on the project soon following feedback and will update the public further when it can.