Oldest swingers in town: £40,000 playground for pensioners in Hyde Park

Westminster council agreed to plans for the £40,000 facility, with fitness equipment designed to provide gentle but effective exercise.

The playground will have a cross-trainer, body-flexer, free runner, sit-up bench, flex wheel and exercise bike.

Play areas for older people are popular in China and parts of Europe, but this is the first of its kind in London.

Madeline Elsdon, a spokeswoman for the Knightsbridge Association, which first came up with the idea, said: "In the UK there are now more pensioners than children, but there are few facilities for them in our parks.

"We proposed the playground because many older people find indoor gyms intimidating and expensive and therefore aren't exercising enough. We also hope the playground will encourage users to socialise and have fun together. People are never too old to play."

The equipment will be free to use and will be set up in a 125 square-metre site at the park's tennis and bowls centre.

While the under-sixties will not be banned from joining in the fun, the playground will be clearly signposted Hyde Park Senior Playground.

The first pensioners' playground in Europe opened in Berlin in 2008. It was designed by Renate Zeumer, an engineer who noticed older people in China using simple pieces of government-provided equipment to exercise in parks, on streets and in subway stations.

A playground for the elderly opened in Manchester in the same year.

Councillor Lee Rowley, Westminster's communities chief, said: "Exercise isn't just for young people — older residents should have the opportunity to get fit and active as well. This will be a great new facility in Westminster and will be enjoyed by the thousands of people who visit Hyde Park every day."

The Royal Parks Agency, which manages Hyde Park, also backs the project. Chief executive Mark Camley said: "For those who want to get fit in the great outdoors, you can't do better than the Royal Parks for idyllic locations.

"We believe that this new facility will inspire many people to take exercise and have fun while they're doing it."

Work on the playground begins next month and it is due to open in spring.