Residents of Selborne, Hampshire, can enjoy a new wooden playground, thanks to a £40,000 donation from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.
The previous play equipment, which was installed in 2008, showed signs of deterioration – after many years of being used by local children and being weathered by the elements – and therefore it was decided that replacement apparatus would be needed.
Added to the recreational area are two new slides, climbing frames with cargo nets, swings and a spinning disc, with the main structures being made predominately from Robinia timber. This material was chosen for its durable, reliable and sustainable qualities, and rustic finish.
Fitting in with the rural setting of the village of Selborne – which is just within the northern boundary of South Downs National Park and well-known for being the home of famed naturalist Gilbert White – the new playground enhances the existing recreation ground and provides a central visiting point for local villagers and those from the surroundings areas, Blackmoor and Oakhanger.
Mark Stevens, unit manager at Tarmac’s Kingsley Quarry, said: “I’m glad our donation has been able to fund a lot of new equipment for the Selborne children’s playground. I hope the benefits of the latest additions to the recreational area, are felt throughout the local community.”
Cllr. Seema Bennett, chair of Selborne Parish Council, said: “Without the very generous grant donation from the Tarmac Landfill Communities fund, the Parish of Selborne would not have had the funds to build this beautiful playground. The area is very much appreciated by all in the Parish, especially the children, who now have a new and wonderful space to enjoy and play in.”
The Landfill Communities Fund was established by the Government in 1996. It enables landfill operators to donate part of their annual tax liability to enrolled Environmental Bodies for a variety of approved community and environmental projects. Through the fund, Tarmac donates around £1 million to projects each year.
