Tobermory, Isle of Mull
In early 2025, Tobermory Play Area (located on the Isle of Mull in the Scottish…
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The following case studies are just a sample of the hundreds of the installations we complete each year. We’ve completed projects in all areas of the UK and have probably installed a playground in a school or nursery near you.
In early 2025, Tobermory Play Area (located on the Isle of Mull in the Scottish…
Swadlincote Woodlands, located in the historic Derbyshire mining town of the same name, is a…
At Sutcliffe Play, we’re proud of our reputation as a nationwide play designer and manufacturer…
Meriden Park, located in Etchinghill, Kent, is a compact neighbourhood play space which has always…
Stone Hill School, located in Scawsby, Doncaster, is highly regarded for the excellent standard of…
Blackfriars Play Area, in the well-known seaside town of Great Yarmouth, required a substantial upgrade…
In early 2024, the play area at Lorenzo Way in eastern Hull required a major…
In mid-2024, the playground at Jesmond Drive, Aberdeen required a major upgrade to enhance its…
The playground on Lennon Way, Basingstoke, possessed great potential as a standout meeting place for…
Ropner Park, located in the west of Stockton, has been a proud centre of the…
Reading’s Rivermead Leisure Centre had recently enjoyed a complete rebuild, and it was decided that…
The playground on Victoria Recreation Ground in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees required a major overhaul to broaden…
A former paddling pool in Northfield Park, Blaby became the centre of a transformed play…
In early 2021, Cambridge City Council embarked on a thorough transformation of 3 key play…
Some of the equipment in Matlock Dale Play Area in East Suffolk was almost 2…
Hillend Playground in Fife had become seriously run-down after many years of use, and some…
Weston-super-Mare Town Council issued a specification in July 2022 for the design and installation of…
Ipswich Council wanted to demolish the existing play area and create a brand new bright…
We were tasked by Tendering Council to update the play area at Foots Farm in…
Following consultation with the community on what they would like to see at the recreation…
As part of a multisite project, each with varying budgets, we were tasked with revitalising…
A popular destination on Brightlingsea Western Promenade, Pawson Play Area was in need of a…
Following a competitive tender process we were awarded the contract to design and install a…
The vision for this area was to update the existing play area by incorporating a…
This project aimed to provide new play equipment for children of all ages to complement…
The vision for this area was to develop an existing small open space into a…
With a population of circa 10,000, of which over 13% are aged 15 years and…
Rosemead Park play area was ready for a long overdue complete refurbishment with the Council…
The Joshua Tree, a Cheshire based Children’s Cancer Charity dedicated to working closely with families…
Reading Borough Council wanted to replace their existing play area on Mapledurham Playing Fields, which…
The area of St Augustines Green off Bixley Road in Ipswich had experienced problems in…
Ipswich Borough Council invested the £350,000 to revitalise a rundown, tired playground to make it…
Meadow Road Park play area was in need of redevelopment after the existing play equipment…
Falkirk Community Trust appointed Sutcliffe Play Scotland to manage the redevelopment of the Callendar Park…
Sutcliffe Play was briefed to transform four playgrounds across the London Borough of Redbridge as…
Bleasdale School, a specialist day school which also offers optional residential provision, caters for pupils…
Norton Town Council secured S106 developer funding to upgrade the play provision at King George’s…
Barkston & Syston Playing Fields Committee wanted to refurbish the existing play area with wooden…
Vale of Glamorgan Council wanted to replace an old Multi Use Games Area and incorporate…
Situated adjacent to the newly refurbished St Annes Community Centre, the Oak Tree Centre provides…
Belmont Drive was over 20 years old and one of the Council’s oldest play spaces…
Whiteley Town Council wanted to rejuvenate the existing Meadowside play area which was in need…
At Chatsworth – one of the country’s premier visitor attractions – the Farmyard and Adventure…
Sutcliffe Play South West worked with Blaenhonddan Community Council, with support from Neath Port Talbot…
The school has recently become a facility that caters purely for autistic children and wanted…
As part of a six year £10 million project to protect Morecambe from coastal flooding…
Glenwood School has been rebuilt by Essex County Council on land adjacent to its previous…
Stradbroke Parish Council wanted to upgrade facilities at two play areas in the village, one…
The States of Jersey wanted to refresh one of their most popular public parks, Coronation…
Bourne Park is one of Ipswich’s largest open spaces and attracts thousands of visitors each…
Blaenhonddan Community Council wanted to refurbish their existing Cadoxton playground with new challenging play opportunities…
In late 2018, Fenland District Council set about giving one of Fenland’s oldest play parks…
A new playground designed by playground equipment specialist Sutcliffe Play is delivering exciting play opportunities…
Client Brief Singleton Hospital wanted to rejuvenate the existing play area which was looking tired…
The major problem facing Lawrence Price, head teacher of Keys Meadows Primary School, in Enfield…
Children at Fitzjohns primary school in Camden met Hattie and Tim Coppard, the Designers of…
The partnership allows children on school visits to the museum to experience first hand the…
Many of the 200 children at Kingfisher Primary School, Smith’s Wood, North Solihull, live in…
Snug, Sutcliffe Play’s innovative and unique loose parts play equipment, has been successfully trialled in…
Sutcliffe Play is working, in partnership with Service Children’s Education to introduce Snug into an…
Fizzy Lizard is the first play centre in the UK to use Snug. The kit…
Communities across the country are being encouraged to embrace an innovation in play equipment following…
Singleton Hospital wanted to rejuvenate the existing play area they had, which was looking tired…
Williamson Park’s two playgrounds needed a much deserved makeover following over 10 years of heavy…
West Lothian Council wanted to rejuvenate the existing play area at Waverly Crescent as part…
Rutland Water is set in 4200 acres of open countryside and offers outdoor activities for…
RAF High Wycombe launched a project to help integrate the armed forces and civilian communities…
Local children have helped to select play equipment during the transformation of six play areas…
People living in the London borough of Enfield are learning to combine imaginative play with…
This summer we worked closely with Calderdale Council to install a state of the art…
A new playground was required to meet the needs of a new housing area and…
Cookstown District Council wanted to create a new and exciting play area within Davagh Forest…
Elton Park community play area, located at the rear of the village hall, included very…
Sutcliffe Play has installed a range of natural, Jurassic-themed play equipment in Cuckfield, one of…
The new £60,000 play area at Friarwood Valley Gardens has created a natural themed area…
Children have been enjoying exhilarating, inclusive play opportunities at a park in Margate, Kent, which…
Following their involvement in selecting equipment for the new site, there was much anticipation from…
A regeneration project of Cutsyke, once a thriving West Yorkshire mining town was important in…
A showcase playground installed six years ago is continuing to have a positive impact on…
Sutcliffe Play Scotland has worked with Culcabock and Drakies Community Council to create a challenging, dynamic…
Sutcliffe Play has created an exciting play area at a challenging and unique site within…
In April 2008, The Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) awarded Cambridgeshire a capital…
Design & Build The market town of Otley had five playgrounds, but none of them offered…
Broxtowe Borough Council wanted to upgrade the Broadgate Park playground as part of the Council’s…
Torfield Special School caters for children who have a range of Special Educational Needs particularly…
The National Botanic Garden of Wales was looking to upgrade its existing play facility, which…
Byram Cum Sutton Parish Council wanted an exciting new play area catering to children aged…
Sedgemoor District Council wanted to create a destination park for Bridgwater, creating a flagship playground…
Grafham Water is set in 1500 acres of countryside, ideal for family days out and…
Waveney Norse was looking to upgrade a tired facility, Royal Green in Lowestoft, Suffolk, which…
Visitors were delighted by new play experiences, including an extensive indoor sand and water play…
Sutcliffe Play worked with The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent to design and install…
Children from a primary school in Havant were given the chance to help install the…
The original park was on a sloping green field site that was poorly equipped and…
Working with Ackworth Parish Council, and close to our factory in Upton, a new £85,000 local…
Fulham based Ray’s Playhouse has opened its new inclusive play area. The charity was formed…
A new play area in Mildenhall has ‘delighted’ residents and encouraged active, cooperative play in…
Loose parts play kit Snug has been going down a storm with children at an…
Sutcliffe Play South West has worked with Willows C of E Primary School in Stratford…
Brief To work with the community to introduce a safe place for children and young…
In early 2025, Tobermory Play Area (located on the Isle of Mull in the Scottish Hebrides) was due…
Swadlincote Woodlands, located in the historic Derbyshire mining town of the same name, is a stunning 80-acre urban…
At Sutcliffe Play, we’re proud of our reputation as a nationwide play designer and manufacturer, but in early…
Sutcliffe Play Ltd
Waggon Lane
Upton
Pontefract
WF9 1JS
United Kingdom
Sutcliffe Play 2024 | Designed by Browndog
Registered in England, No 435546
We’d love to hear from you, please fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch…
Durable steel-cored rope is a hugely versatile material, which offers great utility as part of more challenging equipment, such as our climbing and balancing focused Mission and Neo ranges, whilst also being used to create the colour contrasting scramble nets found on a number of our inclusive-focused units.
The rope’s steel core offers great durability, allowing it to endure heavy sustained usage for long periods without requiring replacement. Not only does this minimise wastage, but at the point that replacement finally does become necessary, its environmental impact is mitigated by the fact that steel is one of the world’s most recyclable metals.
Prior to this, however, sustainability is also a key consideration for us during the initial stages of our equipment’s development. This is why we seek to deal with responsible suppliers at all times, and participate in a sustainable supply chain with environmental consideration at its heart.
Both of our wholesale suppliers of steel-cored rope hold all of the relevant credentials to operate in a modern, climate conscious marketplace, and both source their rope from a respected third-party enterprise which holds the ISO 14001. This internationally recognized standard demonstrates their commitment to minimizing their environmental impact, and continuously improving their performance in this area.
Our nets and ropes are covered by a 5-year warranty against non-structural failure due to faulty workmanship or materials.
Many of our products, especially our multi-play units, are designed to enable fast, thrilling, kinetic play for all ages and abilities. This is why durable, hard-wearing anti-slip surfacing is another key material used in our factory, to deliver the safest, highest quality playing experience for children.
The two most commonly used materials in this regard are Hexastrong panels and WISA®-Multifloor panels. The former is found primarily on the walking decks and steps on many of our multi-play units, including in our MiniTown, Toddlerzone and Playzone ranges. With their hard-wearing nature and excellent strength to weight ratio, these panels are ideally suited for use on playground equipment, and as they are produced primarily from timber, they can be considered a renewable resource.
Durable WISA®-Multifloor panels are also utilised most prominently in our Toddlerzone and Playzone ranges. Constructed from birch veneers bonded together with weather-resistant glue and coated with an elastic overlay, they deliver a strong, safe surface on walking decks and steps, upon which children can play freely.
As with all materials involved in the manufacture of our products, we work hard to ensure we deal with responsible suppliers at every stage, and participate in a sustainable supply chain with environmental consideration at its heart:
Both of our Hexastrong suppliers are UK-based, reducing emissions from overseas freight, and the materials we source from both are FSC (Forest Stewardship Certification) approved, ensuring they are derived from well-managed forests and tracked throughout their manufacturing journey. Both suppliers also fully comply with the Timber and Timber Products Regulations (UKTR), which requires them to conduct all necessary due diligence on their supply chains, to ensure the materials they use have been legally sourced and traded.
One of our suppliers also utilises a Carbon Calculator, to inform every customer of the overall carbon footprint of their order, taking in manufacture, delivery of the product to the supplier’s warehouse, and storage, all the way up to the moment it leaves the supplier’s premises. This information allows us to easily understand the carbon impact of the Hexastrong panels we purchase, and assess the results accordingly.
Our supplier of WISA®-Multifloor panels, meanwhile, is based like us in West Yorkshire, again reducing freight emissions, and as with our Hexastrong supplier, is FSC (Forest Stewardship Certification) approved and fully complies with the Timber and Timber Products Regulations (UKTR).
Both our Hexastrong and Wisa®-Multifloor panels are covered by a 5-year warranty against material degradation.
When it comes to safeguarding our environment, however, we know the surface itself has a part to play, too. We utilise a range of different treatments and finishes, including galvanising, powder coating and zinc priming for mild steel, and anodising for aluminium. These processes provide the materials with the best chance of enduring heavy usage, whilst sealing the surface’s prime coating, and adding further durability through a UV stable colourfast finish.
The manner of application is also crucial with regards to sustainability. Our preferred method, electrostatic spraying, involves the use of a spray gun to powder coat the metal. This leads to an exceptionally even particle distribution when compared with traditional airless methods, which can result in significant overspray and insufficient coverage. The improved transfer then translates to reduced paint consumption, which in turn reduces waste, and saves on any cleaning agents required to remove excess.
Our UK-based supplier practices sustainable delivery methods, including utilising cardboard packaging in place of plastic, as well as biodegradable packing made from natural, nontoxic sources (such as wheat and corn starch) which can be used in compost piles after use.
Our paint, anodising and galvanising are all covered by a 7-year warranty against significant corrosion due to faulty materials or finishing.
In our case, it is the main material used in many of our swing seats, whose design and production originally helped to make Sutcliffe Play a leading name in the playground market.
Rubber is derived from the sap of the rubber tree, which, when farmed responsibly, can be tapped for latex production over a period of many years before requiring replacement. Not only does this make the rubber itself a sustainable resource, it is also a great benefit for the wider ecosystem, as rubber trees have a significant capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.
Likewise, natural rubber is also extremely biodegradable, giving it a major advantage over plastic (which can take decades or even centuries to decompose); the higher the percentage of pure latex rubber in the compound, the faster it breaks down upon disposal.
Our north-west based supplier is a leading enterprise that operates a Sustainable Procurement Policy, which seeks to monitor and manage the business’s environmental impact, whilst ensuring social, environmental and economic factors are fully considered by employees and suppliers.
Our rubber is covered by a 3-year warranty against material degradation.
Three of our four main aluminium suppliers are based locally in West Yorkshire, reducing freight emissions, and all seek to work within a sustainable supply chain, with one certified to the Environmental 14001 standard, whilst another is beginning to roll out the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil to replace diesel at all of their service centres, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions and nitrogen oxide.
Aluminium is not only a highly durable material, it is also the most recyclable metal in the world, and can be continually re-melted and refashioned into new products without losing its properties. This process also uses up to 95% less energy than the production of new aluminium from raw materials.
Its unique combination of versatile properties, including low weight, high strength, corrosion resistance and recyclability make it a perfect match for heavy usage playgrounds. Its hardened anodised finish is also maintenance free and requires no touch-up or finish during its life cycle, saving on wastage and the use of new top up materials.
Our aluminium is covered by a lifetime warranty against structural strength, and our anodising is covered by a 7-year warranty against significant corrosion due to faulty materials or finishing.
As with stainless steel, our supplier is an established enterprise in the local West Yorkshire area. Their mild steel includes an average of 76% recycled content, and is created from raw materials sourced from UK and Belgian foundries which are BES6001 certified. As of April 2023, their activity was estimated to produce 1.39 tonnes of carbon emissions per tonne of steel, well below one of the major estimated industry averages (1.85 tonnes), and on par with another (1.40).
This high-quality material is painted using a sustainable electrostatic process, and gains added protection through a UV stable colourfast finish. It has been proven to withstand not only the rigours of daily usage but the harshest of outdoor environments, including those with high salinity – this is well-evidenced by the fact that there has never been a customer claim against its structural guarantee.
Our mild steel is covered by a lifetime warranty against structural strength.
Our supplier is local, based like us in West Yorkshire (reducing freight-based carbon emissions), and sources their stainless steel from an enterprise which is a leader in sustainability, whose steel output includes a recycled content of between 85% and 90% (against an industry average of 60%); this same enterprise has also reduced their direct per ton CO² by 25% over the last decade. In addition, the carbon footprint of their stainless steel has been found to be almost 40% smaller than it was in the 1990s.
The stainless steel in our products is maintenance free, easy clean, and suitable for all environments. It conforms to EN10088 specifications, and it is austenitic – making it stronger, more durable, and less electrically and thermally conductive than carbon steel, as well having a greater corrosion resistance. This durable, robust composition greatly extends the material’s lifespan, deferring waste creation (and steel is already the most recycled material used in manufacturing overall, so is far less likely to create waste at all).
Our stainless steel is covered by a lietime warranty against structural strength.
The two key components in its creation are paper (technically called cellulose fibres) and thermosetting resin, with the former representing 60-70% of the finished material.
Our supplier is an Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001:2015 certified business, which holds both of the voluntary ‘Chain of Custody’ certifications according to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) schemes. These certifications guarantee that the final product is made of material from well-managed, FSC or PEFC-Certified forests, and other controlled sources.
No organic solvents, asbestos or heavy metals are used during HPL’s production cycle, and it doesn’t release any gases, vapours, solvents or fluids. Its processing waste can be handled in a manner equivalent to household waste at controlled landfills, and it is estimated that 80% of the waste generated by our supplier is recovered.
Once created, HPL’s standout durability (it is fire-retardant, scratch and shock resistant, and non-porous) ensures that it will resist a great deal of wear and tear, and endure for long periods before requiring replacement.
Our HPL panels are covered by a lifetime warranty against non-structural failure due to faulty workmanship or materials.
Offering an excellent strength-to-density ratio, and a very high impact resistance and melting point, products utilising HDPE are sure to enjoy a very long life.
The HDPE we purchase is sustainably sourced, and includes an average of 76% recycled content. Our supplier has also recycled 99% of their waste material and off-cuts since the formation of their business, and offers HDPE recycling services to customers for products which are no longer required.
Unlike natural, porous materials such as wood (which can feature fissures or grooves that harbour moisture or bacteria) HDPE resists mould and rotting as well as most strong mineral acids and naturally occurring chemicals. HDPE is also easily recyclable, helping to keep non-biodegradable waste out of landfill.
Our freestanding play panels are also accompanied by a selection of sustainably sourced supporting posts, including recycled plastic, galvanised metal, and timber. As with HDPE, these enjoy a far longer lifespan due to their environmental resistance (with none of the rotting, cracking, or splitting that may come with traditional timber posts), and they also help to reduce non-biodegradable landfill waste.
Our HDPE is covered by a lifetime warranty against non-structural failure due to faulty workmanship or materials.
These are constructed from Glued Laminated (Glulam) Larch, a structurally engineered wood comprised of layers of dimensioned lumber, bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives.
Our well-established supplier of Glulam is based very locally to our factory in West Yorkshire, reducing freight emissions – and as with all of our materials, Glulam’s great durability minimises waste and the need for replacement in the long term. Its design delivers greater dimensional stability than that of whole log sections, with no shakes, twisting or warping, and all Glulam beams within the Treetops range have an oblique cut top to prevent water ingress, as well as galvanized steel shoes to protect the base of each post from the elements.
As well as having no known negative environmental effects, repairability of Glulam is high, and once it reaches the end of its natural life, it can be repurposed as an excellent biofuel.
Our Glulam is covered by a 15-year warranty against structural strength.
Timber is an essential material in our work, used primarily in our naturalistic Orchard range – and we strive to ensure not only that it is sustainably sourced, but smartly applied to ensure maximum longevity.
Our FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified supplier handles slow grown pine logs derived from strictly controlled sources, either through government body approved felling licences or forest/woodland management plans. They also encourage the recycling of their products during manufacturing, with all wastage repurposed – including in a local biomass plant that produces electricity and heat.
The timber we purchase for use in our Orchard posts has been pressure treated against wet rot, dry rot and insect infestation, carried out after it has been cut and drilled (ensuring the coverage of all exposed timber). It has also been preservative pressure-treated with high-quality Tanalith 9000, which is proven at providing unrivalled protection.
A UK-sourced aluminium protective shoe maintains the timber above ground level, protecting the base of each post throughout its lifetime, and side ventilation holes allow the posts to breathe and stay dry. At the other end, a special rubber cap completely seals the post top, preventing moisture from entering the top grain.
Our Timber is covered by a 15-year warranty against structural strength.