Sutton has no splash park, and 172 residents asked for one. Officers advise councillors on 8 October to say no for now on cost and look to developers.

A petition asking Sutton Council to build a splash park or public paddling pool is set to be turned down, at least for now. Officers are advising councillors not to fund one “primarily because of financial implications”.

The petition, signed by 172 residents, goes to the council’s Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee on Thursday 8 October at 7pm. (Committee agenda)

What the petition asks for

The petition says the borough has no water play area for children, so families have to travel to neighbouring boroughs for one. It closed on 1 September 2026 with 172 signatures.

Its main points are:

  • the only place children can play in water is the fountain outside Sainsbury’s at the north end of Sutton High Street
  • that fountain “was not built or designed as a children’s play area”, sits next to the main road after a sharp corner, and blocks the shop entrance when it is busy
  • more families now live in flats without gardens, so they cannot set up a paddling pool at home
  • recent heatwaves, and the warm summers expected in future, make somewhere to cool off more important

It asks the council to build “a suitable, safe facility” in Sutton or one of the borough’s other towns. (Full petition wording)

What officers recommend

The report is by Mark Dalzell, the council’s head of parks and open spaces. It asks the committee to:

  • receive the petition and thank the petitioners
  • keep gathering data on water play options for the future, but not agree to provide any facility now
  • explore whether developers could provide water play privately, through the planning process

(Officers’ report on the petition)

Why the council says no

The report does not put a figure on what a splash park would cost. It describes the cost as “considerable” and says the facility could only be used in the warmer summer months.

The council asked other boroughs that already run water play for advice. The report lists the problems they raised:

  • the high cost of construction
  • keeping the water clean and safe
  • high water use, because systems often run on fresh drinking water rather than recirculating it
  • high maintenance costs
  • unreliable pumps and filters

Water play also needs its own checks on top of the usual playground inspections: testing the water, maintaining pumps and cleaning filters.

On that basis, the report concludes, water play “does not compare favourably” with ordinary playgrounds that can be used all year. It argues that many of the same benefits come from traditional play or sand pits, at “substantially lower cost”.

What Sutton has now

The council’s own water play is one small water feature in Beddington Park, installed as part of a Heritage Lottery Fund project. The fountain outside Sainsbury’s came with the redevelopment of that site and is privately run.

The report sets out the wider playground picture:

  • 34 playgrounds, plus two dedicated playgrounds for children with complex needs at The Grange and Tweedale play centres
  • more than 100 pieces of equipment added since 2019, a 25% increase to more than 430 in total
  • new playgrounds at Watercress Park and St Helier Open Space
  • new equipment at Wrythe Recreation Ground, Stanley Park and Fairlands Park
  • an enlarged playground at Collingwood Recreation Ground, with £70,000 invested

The door left open

The report is not a flat no. It accepts that climate change “suggests that future summers will be warmer and for longer periods”, which is likely to mean more calls for water play.

It also says water play “may particularly benefit children from lower income families who are unable to afford a trip to the seaside or holidays abroad”. It adds that the borough needs a full climate adaptation strategy to work out the best ways to protect residents from heat.

The council says it will keep looking at new designs that may be more reliable. Any future scheme would need a business case and a funding source.

What it means for you

  • No splash park is coming soon. If councillors accept the recommendation, nothing will be built with council money for now.
  • The next chance is through planning. Officers want to explore asking developers to include water play in new schemes. Comments on large planning applications are one place residents can press for it. Our Sutton planning applications page explains how to find and comment on them.
  • You can watch or attend. The committee meets at the Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, at 7pm on Thursday 8 October. The agenda page carries the attendance details.
  • Councillors can still take a different view. The recommendation is officers’ advice; the committee decides.

We will update this page with the committee’s decision.