Hailsham Town Council is publishing information about the maintenance, safety and ongoing improvements made to local playgrounds and associated play equipment.
The Town Council currently maintains children’s play areas at the following sites across the town:
All equipment on Council-maintained play areas conforms to strict health and safety guidelines. Regular checks are carried out by Maintenance Operative and RoSPA safety operational inspector, Christian Letschka, to ensure items of play equipment are safe for use, meet specific standards/requirements, and are not damaged by vandalism or natural wear and tear.
All inspections are documented, and general site checks cover access, footpaths, signage, fences and other barriers, gates, benches, litter bins and surfacing. Furthermore, each item of play equipment is checked in relation to its supports, moving and static parts, seats, safety features, means of access and safety surfacing.
Findings are recorded and acted upon, and repairs are carried out urgently if necessary either in-house or via reputable contractors. Remedial action is taken as quickly as possible.
The publishing of information about the Town Council’s role in maintaining and ensuring the safety of children’s play areas follows a string of major upgrades to playground sites in Hailsham this year. With the success of the complete refurbishment of the play area in Western Road in 2022, the Town Council has taken the opportunity since then to bring other playgrounds up to optimum standard, delivering exciting upgrades to play equipment and offering excellent play value for all users.
The recent upgrade to the Maurice Thornton Playing Field play area involved the installation of a 30-metre aerial zipwire, replacement of the broken inclusive roundabout and complete overlaying of the wet-pour in this area.
Additionally, work was already carried out on the play area situated in Battle Road, which involved the installation of a new multi-play unit, teen swings, mother and toddler swing and cradle swing. The Whirly Bird roundabout on this site has been replaced with an inclusive one and the wet-pour surface has been overlayed. Sensory panels and a picnic table have also been installed.
New play equipment has been installed at the Stroma Gardens play area too, and an inclusive picnic bench and four activity boards have been installed at the Battle Road playground.
All of the above upgrades were funded via the Town Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions.
The Town Council is pleased to announce that it will be carrying out even more improvements to the playground situated in Quinnell Drive in the near future, work which will include the removal of the existing climbing frame and installation of an inclusive team swing in its place. Additionally, a new wet-pour surface will be laid at the site to replace the existing bark surface.
“The revamp of many of the Town Council-maintained play areas is part of our continued commitment to improve local parks and open spaces,” said Cllr Alexa Clarke, Chair of the Assets Management Committee. “Children’s play areas play a vital role in outdoor recreation, providing children with an area to relax, meet friends and play.”
“The Town Council’s play areas strike a balance between providing stimulating play and meeting current safety requirements, which is why we pride ourselves in maintaining our facilities to the highest standards and undertaking regular inspections, repairs and replacements where necessary, as well as upgrades such as those recently completed or near to completion.”
“Our newly upgraded play areas provide a secure, engaging and inclusive environment for children and, featuring innovative play equipment coupled with accessible design elements, our first-rate playgrounds promote a sense of community, physical activity and social interaction among our younger residents.”
Cllr Clarke added: “It’s crucial that there are inclusive play spaces readily available for children of all abilities to enjoy and it is hoped that the latest refurbishments and upgrades – including the forthcoming additional work in Quinnel Drive – will encourage greater physical activity and provide countless hours of fun for them.”
For further information on the play areas maintained by the Town Council, or if you wish to report of any damage/vandalism to equipment, please call 01323 841702 (Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm) or send an email to enquiries@hailsham-tc.gov.uk.
Terry Hall, Communications Officer
Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE
Telephone: 01323 841702 | Email: terry.hall@hailsham-tc.gov.uk