A £13m redevelopment and regeneration scheme in the St Anns district of Nottingham has seen an important step forward with the opening in mid-October of an innovative new play area in Heskey Park.
The two year, £250,000 playground was created by HAGS Play in conjunction with local residents and is aimed at children of all ages and abilities.
The site is the first of its kind in Nottingham as it is designed to enhance children's learning and development by providing elements of 'Natural Play' and 'Risk at Play', the latter being quantified as enhancing the play experience without being unacceptably dangerous.
June Steel, Area Manager at HAGS Play says: "There is growing concern about how safety is addressed in children's play provision.
"Fear of litigation is leading many play providers to focus on minimizing the risk of injury. The effect is to stop children from enjoying a healthy range of play opportunities, limiting their enjoyment and causing potentially damaging consequences for their development."
The playground is on different levels and these have been incorporated to create a 3m-high climbing wall with a slide chute passing right through it.
In addition to the climbing wall the park features glacial boulders, a multi-use games area, climbing frames and a multi-coloured wetpour surface.
HAGS now hopes to use the concept as a design for other parks around the country and were so pleased with the result at Heskey Park that it donated £10,500-worth of turf to ensure the playground was looking its best in time for the opening.
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