A Regional Flagship Playground: King George V Park, Farnborough, England

A playground for all, inclusive and accessible. This was one of the key objectives when planning the King George V playing fields in South Farnborough, England

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Playground guidelines

The strict design guidelines for the playground were formulated in consultation with the immediate local community and the Parents Action Group for Special Play (PAG). The guidelines required the design to be aesthetically pleasing, sympathetic to the existing park and provide inclusive play for children of all ages in the local and surrounding areas.

Rushmoor Borough Council and the Community Group chose the KOMPAN solution due to the "Well designed, challenging, dynamic design with full accessibility for children of all abilities", tells Andy Ford, Parks Development Officer, Rushmoor Borough Council.

Adressing a need

The King George V playing fields have been chosen from 39 play areas in Farnborough and Aldershot to be one of the flagship sites. These flagship sites are designed to be used extensively by the local community and surrounding area and will offer play opportunities for children of all ages and ability.

Andy Ford from Rushmoor Borough Council explains:
"There is currently a rolling programme to upgrade all playgrounds in the Borough. We spent time evaluating each playground, grading them on age, condition, play level and usage. We then prioritised the order and level in which the playgrounds would be upgraded."

During the assessment process the Parents Action Group (PAG) became involved in the King George V site because of their ambition to see a fully inclusive area in South Farnborough. The PAG had been using the King George V playing fields extensively over recent years due to their use of the onsite pavilion.

"They spoke with us about the need to modernise the area throughout by providing a range of fun play equipment that was both safe for young children and exciting for teenagers", Andy Ford tells.

Working together

The local community were consulted about their views on the project. Every property within a five minute walking distance was petitioned to get their input to the area.

The results showed that 92% of respondents agreed that the area needed upgrading and furthermore 24% were interested in assisting with the plans. A main concern was highlighted about the lack of facilities for older children in the area.

From this a detailed brief was created. Tenders were invited for the project the brief sent to interested parties. 30 companies responded and 10 were short listed.

Final design

KOMPAN's design for the play area takes into account the borough council's criteria. The playground had to be aesthetically pleasing, complimentary to the surrounding park, include dynamic play equipment, such as swing sets, have distinct areas for 2-7 and 8-12 year olds; the design had to include a non-loose surface and had to be accessible for children of all ages and abilities.

The KOMPAN representative, Chris Dixon tells:
"The playground has to serve the whole family from toddlers through to teenagers and has to be accessible for children of all abilities, including full wheel chair access. We have used wet pour surfacing to create the flooring to make not just the equipment but the entire play area adhere to inclusive play. We carefully selected items from the full range of accessible KOMPAN equipment. This includes our ELEMENTS, GALAXY, COROCORD and NATURE ranges."

The local residents and PAG were heavily involved in the final selection, with the council providing advice and expertise as to the final decision. Andy Ford cooperated with KOMPAN previously and was impressed with the equipment and the company philosophy, especially the dedication to universal design and inclusive play.

The reaction has been exceptionally positive. Heather Chalkley, a parent from the PAG for special play who uses the playground regularly with her sons concludes: "The playground is wonderful and provides a great facility for all children. It is wheelchair accessible and provides a superb location for families to meet."

We suggest that you also read this case: Creative Solutions for Everyone - A Centennial Park Perspective