| Sol Joel Park | |
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View from the car park |
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| Type | Public |
| Location | Earley, Reading, Berkshire, UK |
Sol Joel Park is a public park in Earley, a suburb in east Reading, Berkshire, England, on the Wokingham Road was given to the Corporation of Reading in 1927 by Solomon Joel. Its official opening was by the then Duke of York, who subsequently became King George VI.[1]
Earley Town Council[2] had been in negotiation with Reading Borough Council, as successors to the Corporation of Reading, for some years now regarding the possibility of the transfer of ownership. A breakthrough in the negotiations came in 1998, when the Borough Council agreed to a 25 year lease of the old hard tennis court area on which the Town Council wished to erect a Sports and Skate Park.[3] This facility, which has been provided by Earley Town Council, was officially opened in July 1999 by Councillor Andrew Long, Chairman of Earley Town Council. It includes two sports courts. One is available for both netball and skater hockey, although it could also be used for five-a-side football. The other court is specifically for five-a-side football and/or basketball.
Skate ramps have been provided suitable for rollerblading and skateboarding. The equipment provided includes a half-pipe with spine, a fun box, a grind rail and two quarter-pipes. At the present time, the equipment provided can only be used at weekends and during the summer.
Discussions as to potential partnership arrangements between Earley Town Council and Reading Borough Council were successfully concluded in 1999 with regard to the remainder of the Park, which is held on a 50 year lease. When the area was conveyed to the Borough Council back in the 1930s, a Trust was set up by the late Sol Joel, and even if any new arrangement was agreed, Reading Borough Council, as the Trustees, would need to retain the freehold although Earley Town Council manages and has improved some of the remaining facilities.
There are now plans to completely rebuild the pavilion on the site to the most up to date specification. Earley Town Council is seeking funds from external sources and has also formed a Friends of Sol Joel Park to assist.[4]