Six Sensational New Playgrounds for Kent County Council

Client: Kent County Council

Location:  Six beautiful country parks across Kent

The Brief

Kent County Council had obtained funding for investment in playgrounds throughout the county from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund. The Fund was created to provide additional outdoor provisions to limit the spread of COVID-19. Its main aim, to enhance park amenities in higher deprivation communities and encouraging people to participate in outside activities

The requirement was to create new play areas which contained both imaginative and creative play components for toddlers and risk-taking and more challenging elements for older children, including sliding, climbing, swinging and inclusive play! Due to the play area’s locations, the council preferred timber equipment to stay in keeping with the natural environment.

Our Area Manager for Kent, Jill Watson carried out in-depth site surveys of all the sites which included: Pegwell Bay Country Park, Manor Park Country Park, Teston Bridge Country Park, Trosley Country Park, Shorne Wood Country Park, Brockhill Country Park and discussed the tender requirements in more detail with the Council.  Jill had been working with the Council for over 20 years, creating a strong relationship with them during that period. Five of the six playgrounds already had Playdale equipment in place. The new equipment was an extension of the existing Playdale playground, leaving the old equipment in situ, which was still regularly used by park visitors.

The completed playgrounds, won by Playdale through a competitive tendering process showcase a wide range of timber products as well as products with inclusive design elements.

The Challenge

One of the main challenges for these projects was to deliver them within a tight deadline. Delivering play area projects on time and to a specific deadline has always been one of Playdale’s strengths. However, scheduling six projects that all had the same deadline was a challenge to coordinate.

The Result

The Playdale Production and Installation Teams worked incredibly hard to complete the projects on time. All of the playgrounds were open and ready to make people smile in time for the summer holiday.

The Pegwell Bay Play Area is in a fantastic setting, with views of the national nature reserve on one side and the sea on the other. To complement both sides of the gorgeous location, we used nautical-themed equipment such as our play ships in green to blend in with the park and spark children’s imaginations, as they soar on the great open ocean. The play area was designed to include a variety of inclusive elements of play. It included an accessible junior multi-play unit, Inclusive Orbit roundabout, and inclusive picnic tables to ensure families can picnic and play together.

Manor Park, formerly a country estate, offers a diverse range of natural environments from wildflower meadows to forests and a tranquil lake. The green hues of the Junior and toddler multi-play tower units, mix in beautifully with the natural surroundings park.

Teston Bridge Country Park is one of the best places to go for a walk along a rural river. Playdale were able to incorporate both nautical and natural theming into this playground by installing a Play Ship and a nautical-themed toddler multi-play tower while retaining a natural feel to the playground with timber equipment and natural colours.

The Playdale equipment would be an addition to the playground’s already-natural design, which was originally established at Shorne Wood Country Park.  The playground equipment comprises of a Rap Plus from our Jukebox Plus Range of multi-play tower units as the focal point, with three slides and a variety of inclusive play features, which was a key aspect of the council’s requirements.  In addition to equipment for older children, we included elements of creative and imaginative play for younger children, such as trains and a Play Ship.

Trosley Country Park’s existing Playdale equipment was enhanced with new timber equipment that mixes in wonderfully with the natural environment while still providing inclusive elements of play.

At Brockhill Country Park we installed a bespoke Jukebox Plus junior unit that was specially created for this ‘out of the usual’ surface due to the levels of the play area. The play area also contains a Brill Plus from our Little Hamlets Plus Range, as well as inclusive equipment such as Loudspeakers and an Inclusive Orbit.

The six new playgrounds, which contain equipment suitable for children of all ages and abilities, now provide a continuous theme of natural ascetics and inclusivity across six of Kent’s country parks.

Whether you reside in Kent or are just passing through, why not make the most of your next day out by visiting the new adventure playgrounds and beautiful country parks!

If you’re feeling inspired and want to talk about your play project with your local Playdale Area Manager, contact us here. We look forward to hearing from you.