We have invested over £440,000 in the creation of play areas year to date as part of our Section 106 agreements with both Newport City Council and Cardiff Council. Local contractors including Gwent Landscaping have been used wherever possible for groundworks, landscaping, and the installation of play equipment.
The new play areas include Parc Elisabeth and Great Milton Park in Newport along with a play park at Parc y Coleg in Caerleon that it is hoped will open later this year along with and an exercise trail soon after. Cwrt Sant Ioan at Plasdwr in Cardiff has two new play facilities along with the Gateway Linear Park at Plasdwr.
Our latest annual community play report suggests that over five million parents in the UK say that their children have no access to outdoor play or nature spaces within safe walking distance of their home. A survey of 2,000 adults including grandparents and parents of 4 – 17-year-olds saw two in five parents admit their child can’t play outdoors independently because there aren’t safe routes for them to walk or cycle. Instead, children are mainly watching TV and playing video games. A third of parents resort to taking their children to indoor play facilities such as soft play.
Jane Carpenter is Planning Director for Redrow in South Wales. She said: “Research tells us that children today are continuing to spend less time outside than they did growing up. Parents are aware of the benefits of the great outdoors and access to green spaces is becoming increasingly important for home buyers.
“Irrespective of age, getting back to nature and embracing the great outdoors is so important for our physical and mental well-being. That’s why we are incorporating nature into the heart of every one of our developments across the country, ensuring that every home has access to plenty of green spaces.
“The opening of six new play areas this year is more than just a planning obligation, it reflects our commitment to putting green space and play at the heart of the communities that we build. We’re creating a better way to live for our customers and that includes prioritising play, nature and space that can be enjoyed by all.”
Read our second annual community report, ‘Breaking the Grass Ceiling’ and find out more about Playmaking.
