Brief
Sutcliffe Play was tasked with creating two new play areas for children and young people in Higher Walton at the King George V playing fields and in Penwortham at the Kingsfold playing fields. The play areas were to provide challenging and exciting play opportunities for children of all ages.
Client
South Ribble Borough Council has an ambitious 12-year plan to rejuvenate local play facilities and spent £500,000 in Autumn 2008 to improve the playgrounds for youngsters in Higher Walton, Much Hoole and Penwortham. These latest three projects have taken the amount spent on improving South Ribble’s play facilities to well over £2million in the last five years. Previously, Sutcliffe Play has worked with South Ribble Council on the redevelopment of new playgrounds in Coupe Green and Tardy Gate, in addition to the new ball courts in Leyland and at Higher Walton.
Design and Build
In Higher Walton Sutcliffe Play installed a £150,000 state of the art facility for toddlers and juniors featuring a fenced and gated area to enhance safety and security. A selection of inclusive play equipment that allows children of all abilities to play side by side was also included, along with a purpose built activity area with specialist equipment, offering challenges for children from toddlers to teens.
In the toddler and junior area sits a Butterfly Roundabout, Pole Spinner, Small seesaw, Inclusive Springies, Toddler Maze and a two slide Toddler Unit, catering for both young and older toddlers and those with special needs. Installed for older children and teenagers, testing and developing body strength through a range of vertical and horizontal tasks is a multiplay unit called the Assault Course.
The £250,000 play area at Kingsfold playing fields provides play opportunities for toddlers to teens. The site benefited from an additional investment of £100,000 provided by the Big Lottery Fund, to provide the “wow factor” for older children and teens in the area.
