Leicester Forest East - New play Equipment Decision Submitted by 20 Dec 2008

The Parish Council have been busy working on your behalf completing consultations, discussing results, compiling an equipment list advertising tender applications and studying the various tenders returned.

THEY HAVE NOW MADE A DECISION! See Installation Photos >>HERE <<

The winning tender put in by a (fairly) local company - Proludic, of West Bridgeford, ticked more of the boxes than any of the others received. So in mid-October the contract was awarded to them. The cost will be a shade under £50,000.

So far The Parish Council have been promised a grant of £5,000 towards this from Blaby DC, and further grants or sponsorships are being sought.

In the Spring issue pf LiFE the Parish Council printed what they planned to have as the site for the installation, the triangle of land adjacent to Pickard's Meadow, just outside the back gate of Stafford Leys School which accesses the park.

Since that proposal, concerns have been expressed by a number of people at the proximity of the trees and undergrowth which borders this plot. In addition, the equipment we have selected would have to be 'shoe-horned' in to this area.

As a result, it has been decided to site the installation on the field proper, on the other side of the path to the original proposal. The equipment itself is of very robust construction, which it is hoped will be as vandal-resistant as it possibly can be.

The equipment itself is of very robust construction, which it is hoped will be as vandal-resistant as it possibly can be.

The centre-piece will be a multi-play unit, surrounded by swings, springies, a balancing trail, roundabouts and playpanels.
There will also be a picnic table on a hard-standing, with a hop-scotch game incorporated.

All of the units (except the multi-play and the table) will be on 'grassmat' surfacing. These are the honeycomb blocks which allows grass to grow through.

The multi-play will sit on a bed of' loosefill', which is an area of wood chippings.

It is hoped that work will start before Christmas (weather permitting), and completed in the early part of 2009.

The working title used was "Somerfield Way Play Park" (because this is the area it is replacing), but this is not
really appropriate as the site is not adjacent to Somerfield Way.

Therefore an appropriate name is required and suggestions are requested so put your thinking caps on and send suggestion(s) preferably by e-mail please to the Parish office >> email << susanljones23@ntlworld.com

The centre-piece will be a multi-activity unit simular to the image below