Birchencliffe Recreation Ground

About the site

The consultation on the design has closed and the Parks Development Team are working through the next phases of the project.

Birchencliffe Recreation Ground is a community park, located in the Lindley Ward. Kirklees Council has funding to improve this play area as part of the Kirklees Playable Spaces Strategy.

We aim to make the play provision at this site more appealing, and accessible to all age groups, by incorporating natural play with traditional play equipment, ensuring that our communities can enjoy the fantastic opportunities which play can bring.

Play in the outdoors has the potential to have a large and important role in a child's physical, social and cognitive development, it is also not reserved solely for children and young people. It should be encouraged at all stages of life, with many additional benefits experienced by individuals and communities.

Birchencliffe Recreation Ground

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You said, We did

The feedback received as part of the community engagement was generally supportive of the design, however some key themes came through which have led to the following alterations:

• Due to popular demand we have added a 1.7m slide!
• The spica twirling pole wasn't very popular and therefore this has been removed to allow space for the slide.
• The swing set includes a toddler seat which replaces the inclusive boat seat.
• Due to the practicalities of accessing the recreation ground an alternative see-saw has been recommended.
• The boulders have been removed following concerns raised.
• We are retaining the teen pod, however it is being adapted to remove the back panels to allow better visibility.

Unfortunately, due to practical and budgetary constraints we're unable to provide a fence around the play area, however we have a growing number of parks with open play areas across the district aligning with the Playable Spaces Strategy.

Additionally, and for further information concern was raised about the material of the new path described as "bound gravel" and it being uneven underfoot and inaccessible. However, this surface is a self-binding gravel installed in a way that the materials bind together and create a solid surface. A example photo has been added to the updated design.

Next steps

The Project Team are currently in the process of procuring and appointing a contractor to complete the works on site.

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