Buckhurst Field Improvement Programme

Throughout 2024 and 2025 South Swindon Parish Council undertook an ambitious improvement programme for Buckhurst Field which has enchanced the sport and recreation amenities across the site.

Working with our partners such as Swindon Borough Council and the Football Foundation, alongside various contractors and partners, the field has seen over £850,000 of investment over 18 months.

The improvements on the field include:

The refurbishment and improvements of the Buckhurst Play Area.
The rebuild of the Buckhurst Skatepark.
The rebuild of the Buckhurst Multi-Use-Games-Area (MUGA). The MUGA has been converted in to a PlayZone.
Activation work to reintroduce football pitches.
A renovated sports pavilion (changing rooms).
A tarmacked car park for the sports pavilion.

Play Area

Buckhurst Play Area has been transformed into a modern, accessible site. The play area has been renovated with new inclusive equipment to enable use by children of a range of abilities and ages. The goal was to make the space more inclusive with new equipment that will be accessible for those with disabilities or special educational needs and new equipment that will provide greater play value to young people. There are new swings, a sensory play board, a zipline, hurricane swing and more. The pathways around the play area have also been widened and improved.

The design was presented to local disability advocacy group Mums on a Mission, who welcomed the design and its accessibility.

Grass Pitches and Swindon Robins

In 2024, the football pitches at Buckhurst Field were restored to game condition by specialist contractors. Work included restoring the dormant drainage system and improving the turf with new grass seed and line marking.
Local junior football club, Robins FC, have played their home games on the field since September 2024.

In 2025, the old changing rooms were reformatted into a new sports pavilion that will be used by Robins FC. The building was completely gutted and fitted with a new kitchen, common area, new toilets and changing facilities. The parish council grounds team have also benefitted from a new break room on the rear of the facility. Solar panels have been fitted to the roof of the building, which will generate more than enough energy for the facility.

A new mural has been painted onto one of the outside walls. Young people from the area submitted their own drawings which were incorporated into the final design. Thank you to Murals by Sarah for your fantastic work.

The parish council also resurfaced the car park that serves the sports pavilion.

Skate Park

Buckhurst Skatepark has been redeveloped with a modern design focused on play value, accessibility, and ease of maintenance. The new design incorporates accessibility for most extreme sports, including skateboarding, roller blading, BMX and scooters.

PlayZone

In 2025, the Parish Council worked with the Football Foundation to remodel the existing Multi-Use-Games-Area (MUGA) into a new PlayZone.

The PlayZone is funded by the Football Foundation and the Oakfield Community Fund.

PlayZones are:

Floodlit to enable year-round use for the community.
Subject to regular maintenance to retain the quality of the playing surface.
Provided with accessible information on how to use the PlayZone site.
Designed and operated based on feedback from the community.

Overall plan, click image to expand.

Impression passing Bisley Close.

Buckhurst Field – impression alongside Bideford Close.

Buckhurst Field – impression alongside Chickerell Road.

Buckhurst Field – impression from junction with Oakford Walk and existing pedestrian-cycle paths.

Swindon Borough Council -Introducing a new cycling and walking route for Buckhurst Field

As part of the overall improvement plans for this area, Swindon Borough Council is proposing to construct a new path for cyclists and pedestrians along the Park North side of Buckhurst Field. This route is approximately 1 mile in length and provides an alternative link between Queens Drive, from the New College junction and Marlowe Avenue, at the junction with Twyford Close.

This proposal features in Swindon Borough Council’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which was adopted in 2022 and sets out the key aspirations for the borough’s network over the next ten years.

This project aims to:

offer an opportunity for sustainable travel for residents and visitors accessing Buckhurst Field recreation facilities and linking surrounding neighbourhoods.
provide a designated walking and cycling route, connecting existing paths from Queens Drive to Marlowe Avenue.
improve accessibility to the wider cycling and walking network in the Swindon urban area.
promote health and environmental benefits associated with cycling and walking for local journeys compared to travelling by car.

This scheme proposal would be 3 metres wide and promoted as a share used route, with no formal segregation between pedestrians and cyclists. It is proposed the path would have a tarmac finish, with directional signage and lighting installed, matching the existing off-road cycling and walking infrastructure in the local area. The introduction of seating benches and waste bins along this route would also considered.

Options for landscaping would be investigated as the scheme design develops. Proposals to enhance biodiversity would also be explored such as tree, wild flower and hedgerow planting. No trees are expected to be removed as part of this scheme.

The feedback from the first round of engagement with residents, users of the local cycling and walking network and other key stakeholders would be reviewed and assessed to inform the design of this scheme proposal. The proposed path would have to secure approval through the formal planning permission process, as the route falls outside the boundaries of the public highway. If all the approvals are agreed, Swindon Borough Council would need to identify funding to deliver this scheme. The most likely source of funding would be through a bid submission by Swindon Borough Council to a relevant government grant, when an opportunity arises. South Swindon Parish Council welcomes this proposed enhancement to the cycle and pedestrian network on the Park North side of Buckhurst Field. This scheme would complement the various upgrades to facilities underway and make this area an attractive destination for recreational activities.