YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
Chelmsford Borough Council felt the time was right to bring new energy into estate and following public consultation, developed the idea of a castle as a shell to house a developing play space. When assessing the suppliers capable of constructing such a unusual piece of kit Chelmsford Borough Council decided there was only one company fit for the task and enlisted the services of natural play specialists Timberplay. Lyn McLay-Kidd, Landscape Officer for Parks and Heritage Services comments: “Hylands Park Estate is a very special location and we wanted a focus for our new play space that reflected this quality. Timberplay understood and responded to our brief very well and their on-site installation team were ever cheerful and helpful, even when ground conditions and the weather were appalling. With regard to the end product, we feel Timberplay have helped create a unique high quality feature, which fits into this historic landscape and will age beautifully. “
The castle was constructed and designed by Timberplay, but in order to keep within the limited budget Chelmsford Borough Council supported the project by undertaking the groundwork independently. The first phase of the Castle currently houses a Sound Roller, Nest Swing, watchtower, slide, and climbing feature with space to add to the equipment over coming years as funding becomes available.
The playground has been surfaced with wood chips produced on site, reducing the carbon footprint of the site whilst cost effectively producing a safe and clean play surface. (www.timberplay.com)
