PPL Ltd. was delighted to be awarded the tender for a play area to be constructed in Marsden Park, Nelson, Lancashire one of the Pendle Parks group and particularly, part of the regeneration of Marsden Park itself. The play area was to be funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Importantly for PPL, this was to be their biggest single-site outdoor play area to date and one which therefore needed to be a complete success.

The Brief

• safe, secure play space
• attractively presented
• access and equipment suitable for special needs children
• colours sympathetic to the park environment
• varied design
• suitable for a range of age groups
• variety of activity challenges

From the outset PPL’s main objective in the design of Marsden Park Play Area was to create a safe and attractive play space, offering activities and amenities to a wide age and ability range.

Working closely with Pendle Borough Council’s Kevin Singleton, Marsden Park’s Landscape Restoration Manager, PPL’s design team set to work.

The Design

Key factors in the design were to include a strong ‘inclusive’ element, allowing less able bodied children to share the experience alongside other children, without segregation or isolation (to meet the criteria for section 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which came into force in October 2004).

It was also a target to achieve a ‘flow’ throughout the play area, with level access to the entire playground via pathways, this attribute also lends itself to the ‘inclusive’ aspect, providing wheelchair access to the whole site.

Another thing to consider was the colour scheme, maintaining tranquillity within the park, using natural and rural colours as well as including contrasting colours to aid the partially sighted. Play equipment was also separated into coloured ‘zones’, with red areas aimed at older children, and green areas aimed at toddlers and younger children.

The choice of play equipment for the play area was based on a number of issues. We had to provide a challenge to all age groups, ensuring everyone from toddlers to teenagers were catered for and provide dynamic and exciting, modern equipment to ensure the area has an appeal to ‘thrill seekers’ whilst maintaining a balance of activities covering all aspects of play such as jumping, climbing, swinging and sliding was also essential.

Once a good range of equipment was selected, the positioning of it played a vital role in the layout, ensuring all exits and entrances were free from obstruction, toddler and junior equipment were not in close proximity, and all equipment was accessible from the footpaths.

Finally, the furniture within the play area was designed to provide a good level of supervision and communal areas for the adults and teenagers alike. A youth sh elter provides a good vantage point of the area for older children, while the large central shelter with seating is designed to be the heart of the playground with easy access to every zone and therefore a focal point of the playground.

Also, importantly, seating is positioned around the playground to provide supervision points for adults while younger children play. Finally, the entire area was fenced for safety.

The Outcome

All of the design attributes mentioned played a huge role in ensuring Marsden Park Play Area was a safe, attractive and exciting addition to the park.The play area remains a ‘flagship’ addition to PPL’s high standard of schemes to date, and a project both Pendle Borough Council and PPL can be proud of.

Kevin Singleton of Pendle Borough Council commented: ‘Through working together as a team, PPL have produced a flagship play area any local authority would be proud to own. From design until completion, PPL have performed magnificently.’ Praise indeed!