A playground which was dubbed the “saddest looking in England” is receiving a full makeover after “years of neglect”.
The playground is located in Fitzherbert Drive, Brighton, in a housing estate partly owned and operated by Sanctuary Housing.
Councillor Jacob Taylor, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, dubbed it “the saddest looking playground in England” and called on Sanctuary to “sort something out”.
Cllr Jacob Taylor, Cllr Ty Goddard and Cllr Amanda Evans on imaginary swings (Image: The Argus)
In July 2025, Councillors Jacob Taylor, Amanda Evans and Ty Goddard launched a campaign in The Argus to ask the owners, Sanctuary Housing, to refurbish the playground after “many years of neglect”.
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Less than a year later, the playground is now being renovated with a full set of play equipment.
Councillor Amanda Evans said: “It’s so nice to see the new equipment going in – and it’s a real victory for the local community.”
Mr Taylor, who is also deputy council leader, said: “It’s a complete transformation to be honest. It looked awful, and there was barely any equipment. Now – the park is full of brand-new equipment and looks amazing. I’ll be testing it out with my kids as soon as it opens!”
Cllr Jacob Taylor in front of the playground’s new equipment (Image: Supplied/The Argus)
Councillor Ty Goddard said: “Fair play to Sanctuary – we put out the call, and they responded. It was a team effort as three councillors working with local residents to push for something much better for our community. I hope it shows that positive changes can come about with the right focus.”
A spokesman for Sanctuary said: “We are very proud to be renovating the Fitzherbert playground and four others across the east and south-east.
“After consulting with the local community and the local councillor, in addition to the new play equipment, our significant investment will also see the installation of three panels featuring sign language, sensory imagery and a role play aeroplane, to ensure the improvements benefit as many young people as possible.”