Swadlincote Woodlands, Derbyshire

Client: South Derbyshire District Council

Cost: £80,000

Date: December 2024

Genre: Local Authority, Inclusive

Swadlincote Woodlands, located in the historic Derbyshire mining town of the same name, is a stunning 80-acre urban park which boasts 40,000 trees and welcomes a huge number of visitors every year. Alongside the park’s other amenities, its play area is an extremely popular attraction, and enables children from all walks of life to enjoy hours of fulfilling fun in an idyllic location. By late 2024, however, it was overdue a comprehensive upgrade, and we were delighted to partner with South Derbyshire District Council to help this rural space turn over a new leaf.

Planning For Play!

We began by undertaking a thorough site survey, before finalising a design which corresponded with every element of the brief. Our client wished to see far greater play provision for younger children, as well as much more inclusivity of children with disabilities amongst the equipment and layout, and we worked hard to accommodate both of these key considerations within our design.

The existing playground consisted only of a bark area, populated by mostly ageing equipment; our design stripped this out, making way for some thrilling new additions which would deliver kinetic, challenging play for adventurous older children. Alongside this, we envisaged a completely new, fully fenced area, incorporating a dynamic selection of inclusive equipment, which would stimulate younger children’s physical and mental development – regardless of their ability. This area would be built around an existing bench, providing essential seating for parents as well as an outlet for children to bond and interact together.

Fun For All!

At every stage, we gave great consideration not only to the equipment itself, but the layout of the final play area, and our designers never neglected the fact that inclusive equipment would be meaningless if it couldn’t be easily accessed by all. Therefore, the fenced area’s bonded rubber mulch surfacing was slightly extended, to connect with the adjacent pathway, making it fully wheelchair-accessible from the neighbouring car park. We also removed a number of obscuring bushes which separated the fenced area and the bark area, creating visibility between the two zones, and encouraging free-flowing communication between them.

The finished space now offers a wealth of imaginative play, physical challenge and sensory exploration for every young visitor to enjoy:

In the fenced area, the most prominent new addition comes in the form of our bespoke Woodland Spider climbing frame, whose compact footprint includes 7 play features for up to 7 young users aged 3 to 8. This outdoors-inspired unit includes two non-slip rubber coated platforms, a 1.2m high stainless-steel slide and a climbing ramp, ladder, and leaf stepper – all of which help to develop children’s coordination, strength, and confidence.

This unit is perfectly complemented by our Nature Activity Centre – a single post with eight activity zones offering 12 play elements, all designed to spark creativity and encourage interaction. Key elements include a spider’s web pathway maze, a set of revolving flowers, and two falling leaves play panels, whilst the product’s accessible, ground level design ensures all children, including those using wheelchairs or pushchairs, can join in the fun.

The focus on inclusivity continues elsewhere: we’re delighted that Swadlincote Woodlands is one of the first projects to feature our brand-new Communications Panel, designed for children who may find difficulty in verbal expression. Based on an NHS-approved system, the panel features a grid of play-related symbols and phrases, which children can use to communicate with peers or parents/carers. This is invaluable in fostering understanding between children from every background – one of the key benefits of any trip to the playground.

In a Spin!

Likewise, a raft of staple play experiences – including spinning, swinging and balancing – are now not only well-represented in this space, but are configured to provide inclusivity for children of all ability levels, whilst still delivering the requisite fun:

Our thoughtfully designed Back-to-Back Roundabout includes a backrest, side support frames, and a rubber-gripped platform, ensuring a secure and comfortable play experience for all, and its height facilitates side transfer, making it especially accessible for children who use wheelchairs. In addition, its high-contrast design improves visibility for visually impaired children, and serves as a natural warning for others. Nearby, our perfectly balanced Four-Way Seesaw enables parents and carers to join in the fun with their children, and its generous handles and stable design ensure a safe play experience for all.

Not too far away, our 2.4m Modular Combination Swing frame hosts an exciting range of new seats. One of our simple Flat Seats promises a more traditional experience, an Inclusive Seat delivers extra physical support for those users that need it, our brightly coloured orange Pod Seat hugs the child as they swing (offering greater comfort than a traditional cradle-type seat) and our Duo Pod Seat allows two young children to swing face to face, encouraging many memorable experiences that are vital for any fulfilling trip to the playground.

Swinging into Action!

Over in the bark area, meanwhile, a number of new additions are sure to grab attention from older visitors. Our exhilarating Single Point Swing can accommodate up to five users at a time, and its inclusive, open design allows children of different abilities to enjoy its immense play value together. The large rubber flat seat also features our unique impact-absorbing safety edge, increasing this swing’s safety and durability.

Alongside it, our spinning Discus combines rocking and rotating motions, and its shape and overall design offer excellent body support and security, whilst also facilitating easy in and out access (accommodating children with mobility challenges). Another new addition comes in the form of our Wipe Out balance board, with a non-slip platform sitting on a rocking bearing, which is sure to test the balance and co-ordination of children aged 8 and over.

Finally, we added a new, 20-metre-long Cableway, which sits parallel with the existing zipline. The combination of the two works perfectly, creating a unique racing zone which will inspire many hours of competitive airborne adventures, and it is sure to prove one of the most popular items in the park in no time.

Exceeding Expectations!

Chris Worman MBE MPMA, Parks and Green Spaces Manager for South Derbyshire District Council, said:

“Sutcliffe Play brought a professional approach and great understanding to the installation of the new play area, and the public chose their design following an extensive online consultation. They saw it as fun and unique, and they particularly liked the double zip wire as well as the themed toddler area. The new play area has been a big hit, with the car park now full at weekends and on school holidays which is great to see.”

This challenging project saw us transform a formerly tired space into a vibrant play park, packed with engaging play opportunities, for children of all ages and abilities. After the completion of our work, we were delighted to join local schoolchildren in a fantastic grand opening event, at which the young guests delivered a resounding thumbs up to all of our new additions. We can’t wait to see them – and countless more from near and far – make many precious memories here, and cultivate a lifelong love of the outdoors against the natural splendour of Swadlincote Woodlands.

Playground Equipment:

Nature Activity Centre

Nature Activity Centre

Communications Panel

Communications Panel

Back to Back Roundabout

Back to Back Roundabout

Modular Swing Set

2.4 Modular Swings

Large Flat Seat Black

Flat Seat

Inclusive Seat

Inclusive Seat

Pod Seat

Pod Seat

Duo Pod Seat

Duo Pod Seat

Single Point Swing

Single Point Swing

Discus

Discus

Wipe Out

Wipe Out

Cableway

20m Cableway

Sutcliffe Play Ltd
Waggon Lane
Upton
Pontefract
WF9 1JS
United Kingdom

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Rope

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.

Anti-Slip Surfacing

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.

Paint/Finishing

Although originating from our West Yorkshire factory, our equipment delivers fun across the country every day – and beneath the colourful surface, its fundamentals are high quality, durable, and sustainable.

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.

Rubber

With its inherent flexibility and array of bright colours, rubber is ideal for use in play equipment.

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.

Aluminium

Sustainability and durability run through our equipment quite literally from top to bottom, as the supporting uprights on our popular Toddlerzone, Playzone, Neo and Mission ranges are constructed from high-quality, responsibly sourced aluminium.

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.

Mild Steel

Mild steel is another essential material which is a perfect fit for our durable product range, used to create the supporting components of our multi play units, as well as rotators such as our inclusive dish roundabouts.

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.

Stainless Steel

Another material that helps us to offer the most robust equipment on the market is stainless steel, used in the manufacture of our chute, bedway and bannister slides.

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.

HPL

HPL is a high-performance, external grade, self-supporting laminate utilised in versatile ways throughout our product range, such as the colourful panelling on many of our multi-play units.

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.

HDPE

HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) is an extremely versatile thermoplastic polymer used in the freestanding play panels which feature in many of our play spaces, as well as for various components across our product range.

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.

Glulam

Our Treetops multi-play equipment is well-known for its naturalistic aesthetic, with striking wooden support beams bringing an eye-catching look to the entire range.

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

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.