As Britain is gripped by a floods crisis, Government indecision and inertia is seriously delaying vital work to protect thousands of homes and properties in the UK.

Devastating flooding is causing millions of pounds worth of damage in scenes reminiscent of the 2007 floods that prompted a groundbreaking Government review by Sir Michael Pitt. Yet how much real progress has been made?

For thousands of homes and properties facing flooding misery, nothing has changed significantly since Pitt, with some of Sir Michael Pitt’s key recommendations yet to be implemented and some mired in uncertainty and delay. According to the Government’s final progress report less than half of Pitt’s 92 recommendations have been fully implemented with most of the rest remaining “work in progress”. Some key recommendations, embodied in the Flood and Water Management Act, have been subject to continuing setbacks.

According to Pitt, two-thirds of the 2007 floods were caused by surface water flooding. Yet plans to introduce new national standards in England and Wales making Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) compulsory through Local Authority SuDS Approving Bodies (SABs) have been subject to persistent delays.

It now seems likely that local authorities will have to wait until April 2014 to begin their roles – at least two years behind the original schedule, whilst work continues to clarify Defra’s draft National Standards, which have been widely criticised by stakeholders as being unclear and unworkable in their present form.

But these measures are still just the tip of the iceberg in the upgrading of our urban surface water drainage systems. As yet there are no firm plans in place to legislate to retrofit SuDS into the existing drainage network and the current proposed legislation does not cover highways.

Accepted thinking on surface water drainage has been overly influenced by an enthusiastic Green lobby, which has insisted on land-hungry natural features for SuDS, causing concerns for developers who may be forced to reduce available land for building in developments already facing tight profit margins. At the same time, natural features present engineering challenges for drainage designers to accurately predict their performance in extreme weather conditions, as well as their long-term maintenance requirements.

A wide variety of engineered systems are available that can enhance the amenity value of natural features whilst providing repeatability of measurable performance. Slowly the industry has come round to this way of thinking. Unfortunately, in the meantime I believe this uncertainty has caused delays in framing clear and unequivocal National Standards that can provide a consistent benchmark for all designers to follow.

Whilst improving urban drainage remains dogged by delays, there are similar frustrations for many proposed major flood defence schemes put on hold after the Government’s swingeing cuts in 2010. New partnership funding arrangements were introduced that require local stakeholders, such as councils, developers, utilities or Network Rail, to contribute to schemes in their area. As a result, communities desperate for updated flood defences, like Morpeth in Northumberland, have had to wait longer for defences to be built whilst funds are raised.

Yet, there is cause for hope in flood defence schemes, including the award-winning White Cart Water Flood Alleviation Scheme in Glasgow and the widely acclaimed Wigan Flood Alleviation scheme, which are successfully protecting their local communities. The solutions are based on temporary flood storage provided via giant vortex flow control devices installed in dams. Without the need for pumps and powered systems, there is no risk of the mechanical or electrical breakdowns that can cause flood defence schemes to fail.

The good news is that the British water industry offers some innovative and imaginative technologies available to provide sustainable, maintainable and reliable solutions to flood defences in future. We have the ability to solve the problems raised so clearly and fully in Sir Michael Pitt’s excellent report. For the sake of all those affected by flooding we must have decisive and resolute Government action with redoubled effort to follow through on Sir Michael’s recommendations.

For more information and comment surrounding Floods and Sustainable Drainage issues, visit Engineering Nature’s Way, the knowledge-sharing website which is the initiative of Hydro International.

ESI.infoTV Episode 3

Discussions about changes in publishing – how we get our news, gossip and information – must be a rich seam for commentators, whether they’re writing for print or the internet. Polarised debates make for snappy headlines (and tweets). Either/or.

But what relation does that bear to your typical working day? Leaving aside the futurology, what are the best resources for getting hold of new or alternative products, for getting in touch with specialist contractors, and for sharing that kind of information usefully with clients and collaborators?

The reality is that web-based collaboration, video conferencing and shared folders still co-exist, to a greater or lesser degree, with dossiers, project meetings, bookmarking with post-its and taking books onsite.

In the video, Adam describes how the familiar process of shortlisting credible companies in the External Works directory worked in tandem with logging on to ESI.info to dig deeper and find the best web pages to share with clients, for ideas or approval.

• Where do you stand on the merits of hard copy and online information?
• How does it all work in practice, in real life?
• How do you go about finding specialist contractors?

You can comment below or on Twitter (#ESIinfoTV)?

You can also register with ESI.info for free to make full use of our search and information sharing tools.

Or if you manufacture construction products or offer specialist services you can get listed on ESI.info.

We recently undertook a survey to find out how many of you still use the EXTERNAL WORKS directory, either in its printed form (affectionately known as the industry bible) or via our website www.ESI.info.

The survey, which was sent to a wide range of professionals involved in external works and landscape projects, demonstrates that trusted, credible printed resources are still very much in demand when it comes to making decisions about who and what to work with.

Nearly 80% of you, who took part in the survey, confirmed that you still use printed copies of the EXTERNAL WORKS directory and 75% wanted to receive a new up-to-date directory.

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Most respondents referred to EXTERNAL WORKS as their first port of call when looking for new products or suppliers to work with. The main factors influencing this choice related to convenience, timesaving and the credibility of the information published. Many indicated that they preferred the book as everything was in one place, rather than having to use general search engines to look for several companies at a time.

A significant segment also referred to EXTERNAL WORKS as an essential visual aid and reference when discussing designs or specifications in meetings with the design team or with clients.

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Online routes to EXTERNAL WORKS

Approximately 21% of you preferred to access EXTERNAL WORKS information online.

Factors for using the website suggested it was more comprehensive in coverage, great for generating ideas,  with additional tools making it quicker to contact relevant manufacturers or suppliers.  Some of you also indicated that you often started using the book and then went online to find more granular information in order to shortlist and compare products, or to contact multiple suppliers.

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Unsurprisingly, the pressure on space in offices meant fewer respondents had access to printed libraries, and many companies indicated that company policy meant a move to paperless working. Other factors for choosing online resources included those of you who work in shared or mobile workspaces.

What was surprising was that less than 1% of respondents mentioned visiting manufacturers’ websites directly when looking for sourcing products and suppliers online, suggesting the important role directories and websites like EXTERNAL WORKS play in supporting key decisions when choosing products and materials to work with.

Looking ahead

In the face of such positive feedback, we have decided to print a 25th anniversary edition of the EXTERNAL WORKS directory, to be released in May 2013.

This decision goes hand in hand with an exciting development programme planned throughout 2013 to make EXTERNAL WORKS information available in different formats including print, online and mobile, to suit your evolving requirements and working practices. We’re also working on new content that will allow consultants and contractors to showcase projects, as well as products and services.

Finally, a big thank you to all those who took part in our survey

We’d like to thank all respondents who took the time to complete this short survey. Your feedback was invaluable in helping us reach this decision to print a final edition.

A special mention should also go to Howard Bowcott, the artist and landscape sculptor, who won our prize draw for a new Apple iPAD.

Request your copy of the new EXTERNAL WORKS 2013 edition

If you would like to request a copy of this forthcoming directory, please contact us on the details below.

Email:    bookreg@esi.info
Tel:        01786 407000

Guy Harding, Lighting Development Manager at Woodhouse, sums up the challenges and opportunities associated with LED technology and its adoption for use in external lighting.

The exterior lighting market is changing rapidly and LEDs are a huge driving factor behind this change.

Clearly, discharge lighting still has its place, but with ongoing LED development it is only a matter of time before it will become obsolete. This is made clear by the way many manufacturers are reducing their ongoing development programmes to concentrate only on the most efficient white light sources.

But as with all leading-edge technologies, choosing a moment to release a static product offering is troublesome, especially in the construction industry where projects can be subject to very lengthy gestation times.

The LED early adoption dilemma

Specify an LED for a project today and in six months’ time that particular specification will have been superseded by another, even more efficient source. This means that all those complex calculations on efficiencies and savings can also be rendered useless and the seemingly endless search for the “best” product in a saturated market starts again.

As LED manufacturers are keen to promote their latest and most efficient products, securing a supply of the older variants can be difficult as production has often ceased.

When companies like Woodhouse look to develop a new LED-based luminaire, they are faced with a fundamental quandary: rush in too early and design a luminaire around an inefficient and quickly obsolete LED, or wait and get left behind in the market?

First-to-market mistakes

Many companies experimented with fitting LEDs into existing luminaires that were originally designed for discharge lamps – using LEDs for LEDs’ sake.

This was not ideal, as LEDs are a fundamentally different type of light source, emitting light only in one hemisphere and requiring heat to be conducted away in the other.

To use LEDs effectively, the whole concept of a luminaire needs to change. The external lighting industry is only just starting to address this.

Rethinking the concept to meet the pace of the market

Development costs are high. Careful, considered design is the way forward, not just the selection of LEDs. To create a truly low-maintenance luminaire, the selection of the power supplies and ancillary components is of prime importance. We also need to consider the question of future upgrading or replacement of LEDs within the luminaire.

Having LED modules that can be easily refitted is the way forward, but do you just replace the LEDs or the whole sealed optic module? The former is unlikely to be done reliably, ensuring perfect resealing of the module, out on site. Therefore, having a combined LED and optic module that can be easily factory refitted may seem the logical step.

Adopting the modular approach

An industry-wide working group, Zhaga, is starting to address the modularity approach and has already laid down standards for some LED modules, mainly based on interior down-lights. It is also looking at flat LED modules for exterior lighting, but this work is at an earlier stage.

All these factors lead to the fact that we need some clever and prudent engineering to produce initially affordable LED luminaires that show efficiencies from day one of installation without elongated payback periods when compared to traditional luminaires.

Woodhouse designs and manufactures exterior lighting and street furniture to the highest international standards. The company’s systems have been used on many of the most prestigious public and private sector projects in the UK and overseas, ranging from the award-winning reconstruction of Kensington High Street to Abu Dhabi.

Alex Edwards of Inturf offers a general guide to the upkeep and maintenance of established turf areas during the autumn months.

September

The frequency of mowing should decrease, unless there is an extended warm/dry spell, and the height of cut can be raised gradually to between 6mm (¼”) and 12mm (½”) above the summer height.

If the underlying soil is heavy and firm, start to hollow core (spiking with hollow tines), followed by application of top-dressings.

Bulk top-dressings should be applied evenly with an appropriate machine (if the garden exceeds 500 square metres) or by hand and brushed into the sward. Avoid smothering the grass too much.

Coverage on average should be roughly one bag of soil per 100 square metres, varying the amounts depending on any depressions or irregularities in surface levels.

It is advisable to add a mixture of seed in with the top-dressing material in order to increase the population of grass in any worn areas.

Worms may become active again at this time of the year. If this is a problem, treat the area with a proprietary brand of worm killer, although cultural methods are just as effective such as brushing, switching and regular good management.

Light rolling may be useful, but only if absolutely necessary and if there are no visible worm casts, which can smother the grass if rolled.

It will no longer be necessary to scarify the area, apart from maybe a light raking to remove worm casts, and providing this has been undertaken on a fairly regular basis throughout the spring and summer. Heavy scarification now may cause too much damage and the grass will only recover next spring.

An application of fertiliser can be made towards the end of the month. This will provide the nourishment the grass needs and harden the grass plants, making them less susceptible to disease.

October

Regular mowing gradually comes to an end, although when weather conditions are suitable, mow the area as frequently as demanded by the length of growth.

Keep the area free from debris and leaves and try to use this month to “rest” the area in readiness for the winter months.

A further smaller application of fertiliser may prove useful to really harden the grass plant off for the winter months.

Make sure there are at least four weeks between your September and October applications of fertiliser.

November

During frost-free and fairly dry periods this month, mow the area as and when necessary – the blades now set at their highest level.

Always remove debris from the surface to help prevent disease.

General

No mention has been made of fungicide applications, as we feel that these are only necessary when the first signs of disease are evident. So, although we don’t recommend precautionary treatments of fungicide, it would be recommended that you stock some contact, broad-spectrum fungicide of a proprietary brand and, at the first signs of disease, spray the affected areas very quickly.

Inturf grows turf on farms in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for applications including amenity landscapes, bowling greens, golf courses, horse racing tracks, parks and playing fields, roof gardens, tennis courts, cricket squares and gardens. The company also supplies fibre reinforced turf, top soils, bark mulch and soil conditioners and has a nationwide network of installation teams. Inturf is a member of the Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA).

Vince Edwards of James Coles & Sons (Nurseries) Ltd shares a list of species that meet the particular planting requirements of play areas. The plants provide a safe yet interesting backdrop and a floral complement to the various elements of a play scheme.

The list below provides a brief description of form, size and each species’ key individual characteristics. It is intended as a starting point; soil, site conditions, light levels and long-term maintenance programmes will also need to be considered when selecting a range for a scheme.

Key

• D = deciduous
• SD = semi-deciduous
• E = Evergreen
• C3, C5, C10 = plant container size in litres
• MH/S = approximate mature height and spread

Shrubs

Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush): lance-shaped leaves, bears dense panicles of fragrant lilac/purple flowers; other varieties have range of flower colour. E, C10, MH/S: 3.0/5.0m.

Caryopteris “Worcester Gold”: full hardy to frost hardy; shrub, mixed border; aromatic foliage with blue flowers. D, C2, MH/S: 1.2/1.5m.

Cornus varieties (dogwood): full to frost hardy; shrub, small tree, border/ground cover; some species have fruit that can cause mild stomach upset; stunning winter stem colour across range. D, C10, MH/S: 12m/8m.

Cotinus coggygria “Royal Purple” (smoke bush): fully hardy, border/specimen shrub; excellent autumn colour. D, C10, MH/S: H 5m.

Fatsia japonica (castor oil plant): frost to half hardy; shrub/small tree, border/specimen; good foliage and habit; creamy autumn flowers; coastal and atmospheric tolerant. E, C5–C10, MH/S: 1.5m/4m.

Hebe ochracea “James Stirling”: compact, erect then arching; triangular rich ochre-yellow leaves; particularly attractive in winter; small/medium-sized white flower in late spring/early summer. E, C2, MH/S: 0.45cm/0.60cm.

Hypericum calycinum “Rose of Sharon”: dark green ovate/oblong leaves; spreading by runners; summer to autumn, has saucer shaped bright yellow leaves, 10cm across. MH/S: 0.60m.

Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender): compact bushy shrub with linear green shrub that produces fragrant pale to deep purple flowers in dense spikes. MH/S: 1.0m/1.2m.

Phormium, all colour varieties: frost/half-hardy; border or focal point, variegated foliage across range, flowers; coastal tolerant. (E, C3, C5, C10+, MH/S: 1.5m/4m.

Thymus: herb aromatic group of evergreen herbs; range of flower colour in summer depending on variety. MH/S: 0.30–0.60m.

Herbaceous plants

Bergenia cordifolia (elephants ear): clump forming, with heart shaped leaves, tinted purple in winter; bears rose red to dark pink flowers in late winter and early spring. E, C2, MH/S: 0.60m-0.75m.

Fragaria vesca (wild strawberry): perennial forming rosettes of three bright green leaves; late spring bears cymes of white flowers followed by red fruits. C2, MH/S: 0.30m upwards.

Mentha piperita var. citriodora (lemon mint): herb vigorous spreading eau de cologne; scented perennial; bears pinkish/purple flowers in summer. C9, MH/S: 0.50m/1.0m.

Stachys “Silver Carpet” (hedge nettle): full hardy to frost hardy; foliage, no flowers, ground cover mass plant; soft silver grey leaves. C2, MH/S: 0.45m/0.60m.

Grasses and bamboo

Briza media (common quaking grass): full hardy; tufted annual grass; border/rockery; long-lasting dense racemes and colour; flower heads can be dried for display. E, C2, MH/S: 0.90m/0.30m.

Carex elata “Evergold” (sedge): most full hardy; tufted grass species; grown for colour, form, foliage. C2, MH/S: 1.5m/0.90m

Carex flagellifera (sedge): densely tufted evergreen perennial, taller than comans; green/reddish/brown leaves; long stems bearing brown flower spikes. E, C2, MH/S: 1m/0.90m.

Cortaderia argentea/selloana (pampas grass): full hardy to frost hardy; perennial grasses, back of border/free-standing specimen; plumes can be dried for display. E, C3, C5, C10, MH/S: 3m/2.5m.

Fargesia nitida (bamboo): full hardy to half-hardy; striking specimen plants; useful hedge material; can be vigorous; excellent for foliage and colour. E, C3, C5, C10, MH/S: 1.5m/5m.

Festuca “Blue Fox”: full hardy; tufted perennial grasses; border/ground cover; good colours and forms. C2, MH/S: 0.5m/0.45m.

Leymus arenarius: perennial grasses; spreading clumps of pale blue/grey leaves to 60cm all summer, through to buff spikelets. C2, MH/S: 1.5m upwards.

Miscanthus Gracillimus (maiden grass): full hardy to frost hardy; perennial tufted grass; free-standing specimen or in mixed border; foliage colour in spring and autumn. C2, MH/S: 1.3m/1.0m.

Molinia (purple moor grass): attractive autumn foliage and dense panicles of compressed spikelets; dark green/cream stripped leaves, ochre stems and purple spikelets. E, C2.

Panicum virgatum (crab grass): full hardy to half hardy; grass with light airy flower heads, ideal border; purple/glaucous to mid green stems. C2, MH/S: 1.2m/0.75m.

Pennisetum alopecuroides perennial grasses: clump forming; pointed mid/dark green leaves; bristly yellow/green to dark purple spikelets. E, C2, MH/S: 1.5m/1.2m.

Phalaris arundinacea “Picta”: full hardy to frost hardy; perennial grasses; border/ground cover plant; tufted soft foliage. E, C2, MH/S: 1.5m/5m.

Stipa tenuissima/gigantea (feather grass): full hardy to frost hardy; perennial grasses; shrub/border; grown for habit, colour and inflorescences that can be dried/dyed for display. C2, C5, MH/S: 2.5m/1.2m.

Trees

Acer palmatum “Garnet”, “Osakazuki”, “Atropurpureum” (Japanese maple) (D, C5, C10): full hardy/frost hardy; large shrub/tree; border/specimen; grown for excellent colour of foliage, form and bark. C2, C5, MH/S: 3m/10m.

Ginkgo biloba (maidenhair tree): full hardy; specimen tree; yellow autumn leaf, pollution tolerant; great landscape tree. D, C10–C65, MH/S: 8m/30m.

Salix alba (white willow): all standard tree sizes in bare root or container; very fast-growing, spreading tree with grey-pink to brown shoots; leaves dull green with blue tint on under side; yellow male catkins or yellow/green female catkins in spring. D, MH/S: 25m/10m.

Salix caprea (goat willow): all standard tree sizes in bare root or container; female version is “pussy willow”; weeping habit with a dense head of yellow-brown shoots; grey catkins with yellow anthers in mid to late spring. D, MH/S: 1.5m-2.0m.

Betula pendula “Youngii” (Young’s weeping birch: all standard tree sizes Br or C; dome-shaped weeping tree with peeling white bark; yellow-brown catkins in spring. D, C2, C5, MH/S: 8.0m.

Betula utilis jacquemontii (Himalayan birch): all standard tree sizes Br or C; peeling bark variety with white bark colour and very gloss leaves. D, MH/S: 18m/10m.

Conifers

Juniperus media “Pfitzeriana” (juniper): spreading male shrub with ascending branches at 45 degrees, forming a flat topped bush with tiered foliage; round fruits turn from dark purple to a pale blue. E, C10, MH/S: 0.90m/2.00m.

Juniperus squamata “Blue Carpet” (flaky juniper): spreading shrub/bush with flaky, rusty brown bark; wedge-shaped leaves, dark green to silvery blue; bears ovoid glossy black fruit. E, C10, MH/S: 10.0m/1.8m.

Juniperus scopulorum “Skyrocket” (rocky mountain juniper): narrow, pencil-shaped tree with glaucous/grey green leaves. E, C10.

This list has been compiled with reference to Coles Nurseries’ stock, which is available from over 195 hectares of trees and shrubs in Leicestershire.

Coles Nurseries is the largest grower of trees for the amenity landscape in the UK, producing one million field-grown trees and two million container plants. The company actively supports the promotion of tree planting by local authorities, landscapers and private individuals. Over 200 tree varieties are grown in sizes ranging from feathered to extra heavy standard. The company also offers containerised trees all year round.

Adam Pounds of Tillers Turf runs through a simple guide to preparing areas for turf, for landscaping and sports situations, and getting the best results when laying it.

Preparation

Thorough preparation is very important for best results. Don’t arrange delivery of your turf before the turf bed is fully prepared and you are ready to lay the turf.

A depth of at least 150mm (6″) of good topsoil is recommended for establishment of turf. It is worth thinking about incorporating organic matter into your soil. If you have very sandy soils, organic matter will add structure to the soil and improve its ability to retain moisture and nutrients. If you have heavy clay soil, the addition of organic matter will help break up the clay and make it easier to work. It will also improve the drainage. Don’t be tempted to put sharp sand into heavy soils, though. This is a common mistake which will lead to more problems. Try to avoid using peat as the source of organic matter.

Dig over, removing weeds and stones. Finish or rake to a rough level. At this point, consolidation over the whole area is key and this will ensure that you are not left with soft spots. Apply a general fertiliser according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and mix thoroughly into the top 50mm of soil. Rake over to obtain the final level and a fine tilth. This ensures good contact between the soil and the turf.

Make sure you order enough turf. Remember that wastage due to cutting and shaping is higher for irregularly shaped areas, so you may need a bit more than you think. It’s well worth adding about 5% extra turf rather than find that you’re a few metres short at the end of the job. Turf must be laid immediately in the summer to avoid deterioration of the turf. As a general rule, lay the turf as soon as possible after delivery. The sooner you lay it, the better the results will be.

Laying

Start by laying a row of turf all the way around the perimeter of the area to be turfed. Then start laying the turf along a straight side, butting the ends closely together. On subsequent rows, stagger the joints like brickwork, making sure that there are no gaps. If you need to adjust the position of the turf after unrolling, always push it rather than pulling it to avoid stretching. Work from planks laid on the soil to avoid making footprints.

Make sure that there is complete contact between the underside of the turf and the topsoil. If necessary, tamp or roll the turf lightly as you go along. Try not to leave any gaps between the turfs, but if they do occur they can be filled with topsoil and lightly firmed.

Watering

Start watering the turf as soon as you have laid it. This is very important. Never let the turf dry out in the first 2–3 weeks, or until the roots have gone well down into the soil.

When you water, make sure that the underside of the turf and the first 50mm of topsoil is damp. The best way to check this is to lift the corner of several turfs to see if the soil is damp underneath.

Try to water little and often, rather than flooding the area, so that the soil does not become soggy. If you over-water, you may find it difficult to mow without leaving footprints in the turf. Another problem with over-watering is that it encourages the development of lawn diseases. Don’t water late in the evening because the grass stays wet overnight, and this too can lead to disease. Even after the critical first few weeks are over you may have to check that the soil has not dried up.

Tillers Turf Company Ltd is a leading grower and national supplier of cultivated turf for landscape and sport.

Their core business is growing turf for use in landscaping on both large and small projects nationwide. Tillers Turf is used by many well-known companies and organisations, including The National Trust, English Heritage, Rolls Royce, British Airways, Nissan, Sainsbury, Slough Estates, Heathrow T5, Arlington Properties, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sun Alliance, the Foreign Office and National House Builders.

The latest publication by Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I’DGO), ‘Why does the outdoor environment matter?’, has been added to the online Transport Advice Portal (TAP), a paper-free technical library available for everyone involved in planning, designing and operating road networks.

The four-page booklet summarises findings from both phases of the I’DGO project on older people’s mobility and well-being, and provides key messages for policy makers and professionals, including those working in highways and transportation.

I’DGO is a research project focused on identifying the most effective ways of shaping outdoor environments inclusively. It is run by three academic research centres in Edinburgh, Warwick and Salford, working as a multidisciplinary consortium, supported by partners in industry, government and advocacy.

Playgrounds can be one of the worst offenders in the struggle to make public spaces locally relevant. Following a standard recipe of ‘kit, fence and carpet’ ensures that a play space could be in Milton Keynes or Madagascar, Swindon or South LA. Without context, who’s to tell?

Adding local context to a playground installation increases community commitment to the space, involves local providers, and is just plain more fun. Localised elements can form the basis for new playground installations, or be added to improve existing ones. Here, examples from my four years of writing about playgrounds at Playscapes illustrate strategies for localising the playground.

1.  Consider topography

Whenever possible, playgrounds should make the ground plane itself part of the play, preserving or reflecting local topographies.

Retaining an existing pile of rubble at a reclaimed industrial site in France allowed this playground by Agence TER to fit into a familiar local site AND be more exciting by hanging off its steep side.

Topographies can be simpler constructions as well: this spiral mound in London, made of turf by Mortar and Pestle Studio, recalls similar Elizabethan garden features.

The steep facets of a Parisian playground by BASE were inspired by the topography in a photo of a local ‘found’ playscape.

2.  Use local materials creatively

Everyone has heard about the use of stones and stumps to make a ‘natural playground’. But it takes some additional thoughtfulness to turn ‘natural’ into ‘local’. Robert Tully of Colorado used wood and stone to make a play sculpture modelled on Native American trade beads, and added subtle carving on a sandpit’s cluster of boulders to suggest local turtle species.

Australian artist Fiona Foley used native seed pods for a playground in Sydney; not literally but as inspiration for the forms of playground features for the under-7 set.

Vintage playgrounds in Singapore once utilised small mosaic tiles as a unique surface treatment. New Singapore playgrounds should look for modern ways to continue this local tradition.

3.  Look around for history

The pentagonal shape of the continuous playground climber by Annabau reflects the shape of the medieval city of Wiesbaden. Its pole and net construction dips and swoops strategically to provide sightlines to city monuments so that the playscape joins the cityscape.

At the Tower Playground, Danish playground makers Monstrum took the incorporation of local monuments one step further by making a playground entirely composed of roofs from the city of Copenhagen; fulfilling any child’s fantasy of rooftop explorations.

Sometimes looking around for history means retaining beloved features within a new scheme. Spanish firm Urbanarbolismo inexpensively rehabbed an existing playground by painting all of the features from swings to streetlamps in eye-popping orange, coordinated with new safety surfacing.

And then they planted the site by engaging the local community in a ‘Green Battle’ in which 200 people threw seed-containing mud balls at each other until the battlefield/site (and themselves) were completely covered. The seeds included a grass to green the space quickly and native species such as thyme and heather to add permanent color and aroma to the playscape.

It doesn’t get more local than residents throwing mud on each other to make a great new playground!

No public space should be so generic that it can be duplicated half a world away. Combining topography, local materials, and a sense of history help make any playground a unique site for community pride; deeply attached to its local context and sure of its place.

Today’s guest post comes from Cath Prisk, Director of Play England. Play England is the national organisation campaigning for children’s freedom to play. Design and engineering of the spaces and places children grow up have a key role in making sure we reverse the trend that is keeping 70% of our nation’s children locked inside.

“90% of adults played out regularly in their street as children. Nowadays 29% of children aged 7–14 say they don’t play or hang out in their street at all.”

Source: Playday 2010/ ICM Research

If you think about where you live, how often do you see children and young people outside enjoying themselves? Now think about when you were young – how often were you roaming your neighbourhood and playing outside?

There are many reasons why children are less visible in our neighbourhoods, but design of the spaces and travel routes around them is a critical part.

Over half (54%) of parents only feel confident letting their children play outside if other children are playing out too, and 88% of parents state that children playing outside helps families to get to know each other in a community. But for that to happen we need neighbourhoods that genuinely welcome children, where they have places they can go and routes that they can travel.

What will it take to make us ‘Think Play’ when we are thinking about the design of the spaces we live in?

With the introduction of the Localism Bill and the National Planning Policy Framework there is an increased expectation that all members of communities will be consulted and considered in terms of planning and regeneration. As 18–20% of the population, the needs of children and young people, and their families, need to be taken into account and their voices need to be heard.

Planning for play may not seem to be a priority for developers and engineers, but all these professionals are concerned with creating successful community spaces and neighbourhoods. If spaces don’t work for families, how can you have a functional community?

But what about risk?

Through concerns about risk, there is a tendency to over-design ‘family friendly spaces’ to the point of sterility.

Here at Play England we are working with the Health and Safety Executive and the Play Safety Forum (a group of experts on all aspects of safety and children) to ensure we can offer the most up-to-date guidance. Tim Gill – a leading expert on children’s use of space and author of No Fear, Growing up in a Risk-Averse Society – is currently redrafting the definitive guidance on Managing Risk in Play Provision, which is fully endorsed by the HSE.

The guidance advocates, in short, a ‘risk-benefit’ approach. So yes, children climbing trees could conceivably fall out and hurt themselves. But think of the benefits: children who develop a love of trees, the environment and the planet; children who become stronger and more active; children who are curious and are willing to work hard to achieve a goal; children who have the confidence to overcome fears. Now you have a strong case for retaining climbable trees, and maybe developing other features where children can practice climbing skills.

For professionals who don’t work with children on a regular basis it can be challenging to look at designs for streets and neighbourhoods from the point of view of a child, young person or their parents.

This is why Play England and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation have come together to offer CPD certified training for transport planners and other built environment professionals, focusing on how to build ‘child-friendly communities’ and encouraging everyone involved in developing spaces where children grow up to ‘Think Play’.

Play is essential for a healthy, happy childhood. Whether you are interested in developing active healthy communities, making spaces where children and young people develop a love of their environment, building places where families feel safe or simply places where communities can come together, then play is a key part of the mix.

If you want to be part of the campaign to increase children and young people’s freedom to play then join Play England as a member, let your friends and family know about the Love Outdoor Play campaign and tell your colleagues about the Child Friendly Communities training.

Together we can make sure children and young people today can have the same freedoms we did.