Windmill Playground Final Design Feedback Form

Overview

Wandsworth Council are excited to share with you the final design for the £201,200 Windmill Playground refurbishment, bringing the Council’s investment in playgrounds on Wandsworth Common to over £400,000 in the last three years.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the Windmill Playground Improvements Phase 2 Consultation in December 2020. There were 77 responses to the online survey, with 91% of respondents living locally to Windmill Playground.

Most of the survey respondents were in support of the proposed playground extension with 17 comments in favour and 4 against. It has also subsequently been discovered that the extension of the playground will not need approval from the secretary of state as we had originally thought which clears an important planning hurdle that could have led to a delay in implementing the scheme.

Option 2 came out as the preferred option with 70% of survey respondents selecting it as their first choice and so this option forms the basis of the final design with some small alterations based on your suggestions.

This includes:

• An alternative climbing frame that offers more variety
• A basket see-saw 
• Replacing musical play items with mirror and chalk board panels
• The existing climbing frame being repainted green to fit in more with the surroundings of the common
• A latch on both gates to the playground
• New signage for Windmill Playground to make it clear that the playground is freely accessible to the public at all times

We can also confirm that no trees will be removed as a result of the playground refurbishment. Furthermore, there are plans to carry out planting at the base of the trees to enhance biodiversity and to help reduce soil compaction around the tree roots. There are also plans to improve planting in the flower beds on the roadside of the nursery building so it is more beneficial for biodiversity.

What happens next?

Information on the dates for the refurbishment works will be announced as soon as they are finalised. Works are anticipated to take place sometime between Autumn 2021 and Spring 2022.