The Wyshe Play Area

Share The Wyshe Play Area on Facebook Share The Wyshe Play Area on Twitter Share The Wyshe Play Area on Linkedin Email The Wyshe Play Area link

The Wyshe play area is in the village of Pyecombe in the South Downs National Park. Mid Sussex District Council has secured a small amount of funding to make some improvements and enhance accessibility for the whole community, and hope to be successful in securing more to make even more lasting improvements to the space.

Get Involved and Keep Up to Date

To be kept informed of how to get involved and to receive updates about this project simply click on the 'subscribe’ button to the right of this page and enter your email address to register.

Background

In 2022

The Wyshe play area is in the village of Pyecombe in the South Downs National Park. Mid Sussex District Council has secured a small amount of funding to make some improvements and enhance accessibility for the whole community, and hope to be successful in securing more to make even more lasting improvements to the space.

Get Involved and Keep Up to Date

To be kept informed of how to get involved and to receive updates about this project simply click on the 'subscribe’ button to the right of this page and enter your email address to register.

Background

In 2022, Mid Sussex District Council ran two public consultations and heard that local people want a well-maintained, low-key play area that caters for the village and is a comfortable place for the whole family to spend time. People asked for seating for adults to sit and enjoy the setting and equipment that caters for a wide age range and with various levels of challenge.

The site itself has many challenges to development, including being a Site of Special Scientific Interest, having a restrictive covenant, being within the South Downs National Park and an area of potential archaeological interest. More detail on these can be found in our FAQs.

  • Project update September 2025

    Share Project update September 2025 on Facebook Share Project update September 2025 on Twitter Share Project update September 2025 on Linkedin Email Project update September 2025 link
    supporting image

    We’ve been busy behind the scenes developing a design and preparing a funding application. As well as liaising with Natural England (to make sure we don’t cause harm to the special landscape around the play area) we have been talking to play companies about what we could do if we were to be awarded grant funding.

    We drew a plan (which you can see in the Documents section) which reflects what we heard from you through the public consultation. We sent this to play equipment suppliers and have asked for their suggestions for equipment that meets our design brief.

    We are evaluating the designs now and will use the best one to apply for funding from Veolia Community Grants in October.

    We’d love to hear from you to help explain to the Veolia Grants Panel, why Pyecombe deserves their investment. Your support can help improve our chances of being awarded funding for this project. If you’d like to help, drop us an email to parksopenspaces@midsussex.gov.uk explaining why you support this project and the value you think it will bring, before 29th September. Don’t forget to subscribe to this page to be kept informed.

  • Project Update Spring 2025

    Share Project Update Spring 2025 on Facebook Share Project Update Spring 2025 on Twitter Share Project Update Spring 2025 on Linkedin Email Project Update Spring 2025 link
    supporting image

    Thank you to the 36 people who shared their views on the play area at the Wyshe. 81% of you said you would like us to develop a plan to try and get more funding.

    We asked what you would like to be able to do at the Wyshe and what your top priorities for improvement were. We heard that people want to be able to socialise and have a picnic whilst their children climb and play on the swings. People told us they want the space to be fun for kids of all ages, from very young children to teenagers.

    We are using these responses to develop a design within the limits of the potential available funding.

    We also need to consider the environment and biodiversity to meet the rules of Natural England who monitor the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest)

    We are aiming to have a funding application ready to apply in Autumn 2025.


Page last updated: 15 Sep 2025, 12:18 PM