CASE STUDY - WITTON COUNTRY PARK, BLACKBURN
Flagship adventure playspace wins a BALI Award
Staff from UPM Tilhill’s Manchester branch have been recognised for the work they carried out at Witton Country Park in Blackburn with a British Association of Landscaping Industries (BALI) award.In the Hard Landscaping category for contracts between £300K and £1.5 million, the award was presented for the creation of a natural playscape and woodland adventure play facility within the historic Witton Country Park, west of Blackburn town centre. The brief from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, in conjunction with Capita, was to develop a flagship adventure play space. The project had to use existing natural features and topography, new natural elements, high-quality play equipment and an innovative design.
Funding for the new play facilities was thanks to a share of the £2.5 million investment in play across Blackburn with Darwen, from the Government’s Play Pathfinder programme.
The play space had to encompass existing natural features and topography, new natural elements, high-quality play equipment and an innovative design.
After site clearance and extensive work on the trees in the park, footpaths were created and separate playzones constructed. An artist was engaged to produce a series of unusual wood carvings including a totem pole and a "mad hatter’s tea party".
The landscaping involved ground remodelling, planting of semi-mature trees, wildflower seeding, bark mulching and laying locally sourced turf.
Approximately 200 tonnes of Welsh glacial boulders of various sizes were imported into the area, each between two and three tonnes in weight. Locally quarried stone products were used for the footpath surfacing operations.
Loose wood chip and a play sand impact-absorbent surfacing was used to surface under all the play equipment in accordance with all current European play area safety standards.
Prior to handover, UPM Tilhill engaged ROSPA to undertake post-construction testing and certification. After the successful detailed inspection and certification, the site was handed over to the Borough.
UPM Tilhill Contracts Manager Guy Crowther said: “It was great to construct a well thought out and well-designed project with an adequate budget – the credit must be given to the numerous skilled tradespeople engaged on this scheme. We are thrilled to have won an award for this prestigious and challenging project and be recognised for the high standard of our landscaping work.”