The Highwood Riverside play area and ball court are open, with a fort, zipwire and basket swing for under-12s. The hall and pitches have no date yet.

A new playground and ball court have opened at Highwood in Horsham, and both are free to use. Horsham District Council announced the opening of the Highwood Riverside Play Area and Multi-Use Ball Court on 17 September (Horsham District Council).

The play area is landscaped, and the council lists what is in it:

  • a fort
  • a climbing frame
  • a zipwire
  • a basket swing
  • a giant revolving disk
  • seating

The play area is for children aged 11 and under. The ball court next to it has no age restriction: the council says it “is available for everyone to use”.

The rest of the site is not built yet

The two facilities are the first part of a larger programme at Highwood. The council says the site will also get:

  • a community hall
  • two football pitches
  • changing rooms
  • public toilets
  • a small car park

It has not published a date for any of them. If you are planning around a pitch or a hall booking, there is nothing to book yet.

Who paid for it

Not the council, and not council tax. The council states that the Highwood community facilities are being delivered through section 106 funding provided by the developer, Berkeley Homes.

Section 106 is the agreement a developer signs alongside a planning permission, committing money or works to offset the impact of the new homes. It is why a play area turns up on a housing site at no cost to the council’s own budget, and it is also why the timetable follows the build rather than the council’s own plans.

Highwood is Berkeley’s development west of Horsham town centre, which the developer’s own sales pages describe as within walking distance of the town centre and as including a BMX track, sports pitches, allotments and play parks (Berkeley Group).

Councillor Ruth Fletcher, the district council’s cabinet member for planning and infrastructure, linked it to the council’s Annual Plan for 2026/27 and said: “Creating safe, welcoming spaces for children and families is an important part of that commitment, and these new facilities at Highwood are a great example of that in action.”

What it means for you

  • It is open now and it costs nothing. You do not need to book either the play area or the ball court.
  • Check the age range before you travel. The equipment is specified for children aged 11 and under, so older children get the ball court rather than the play area.
  • Do not expect the pitches or the hall this year. The council has announced the two facilities that are finished, and has given no date for the rest.
  • More free and low-cost family options across the district are on our things to do in Horsham page.

Sources

Checked on 20 September 2026. We have not visited the site. Everything above comes from the council’s and the developer’s own published descriptions.