Client: Kent County Council
Location: Six beautiful country parks across Kent
Playdale was overjoyed to be given the contract to design, build, and install six (yes, six!) brand new playgrounds for the largest local authority in England, Kent County Council.
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 provision to limit the spread of COVID-19, with an emphasis on enhancing 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.
The Playdale 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. Playdale equipment was already installed in five of the six playgrounds. For some of them, 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. Find out more by reading the full case study here.
