Schoolchildren open new play area in Dinas Powys

CHILDREN in Dinas Powys can embark on outdoor adventures and let their imaginations run wild at a new play area.

The bespoke designed facility*, which is also a piece of public art, forms part of the new housing development, The Woodlands, on Cross Common Road.

It was commissioned by Edenstone Homes and developed by Studio Response in collaboration with artist Tim Norris and Green Play Project.

Children from Dinas Powys Primary School officially opened the play area.

Sales director Adele McCoy said: “When we plan our developments we don’t just think of the people who are buying our homes but everyone who will live there young and old. It’s important that children have the opportunity to play outside and be active.

“It was great to have children from Dinas Powys Primary School officially open the play area. They certainly had lots of fun testing it out and planting around 60 bulbs on site.”

Edenstone opted for an artist-led solution for the play area to use public art to create something useful, meaningful and site-responsive.

Artist Tim Norris said: “Having visited the site I was inspired by the area. Dinas Powys translates into English as ‘hill fort’ and so the central feature of the play area is a fort.”

It also features natural slopes that can be used as slides.

Emma Price, from Studio Response, said: “The value of play for children’s development is very important to us and our clients, and is of particular interest to a great number of artists and creative practitioners through public art projects. Children are instinctively creative and curious and we feel that The Woodlands enabled us to deliver a playground that allows them to explore nature, be active and create their own imaginary worlds.”

Anya Hallett, from Green Play Project, added: “We were delighted to be asked to develop Tim’s concept design into a new play space for Edenstone at Dinas Powys. Local families now have a wonderfully innovative play space.

“Combining community involvement and artistic creativity to deliver a public playground is an exciting new approach and we hope will lead to further collaborations. Public spaces should reflect the community they serve and be a source of pride.”

The play area sits in a prominent location within the public open space at the centre of the development.

Play area features

The central feature is a hill fort, approached by steps or stepping logs that lead up to the timber structure. From here children can view the whole space. A wide double slide provides a route down or there’s the option to cross the rope bridge to a second tower.

The amphitheatre provides a focus for community events and is a perfect sunny spot for parents and carers to sit and watch their children play.

A basket swing is an inclusive piece of equipment for every age and ability. The flat seat swing provides a different form of swinging.

A footpath wraps around an oak tree. The surfacing is a mixture of eco mulch, wood chip and stone dust giving a safe, all weather surface.

The £71,000 project was funded by Edenstone as part of its community contributions agreed during the planning process. The homebuilder is also investing more than £260,000 towards local education and £100,000 for sustainable transport.

With a choice of four-bedroom properties available at The Woodlands, finding a family-sized home will be child’s play.

For the latest availability and pricing, see http://edenstonehomes.com/the_woodlands or call 07392 090258.

*The Woodlands Playground is a public art commission by Edenstone Homes, funded by Section 106 contributions for public art connected to The Woodlands residential development at Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, and developed by Studio Response in collaboration with artist Tim Norris and Green Play Project