Christchurch City Council Community Plan |
Shirley/Papanui 2002 Edition |
Community Plans index > Shirley/Papanui index |
Diversity of play at St Albans park
St Albans Park is undergoing some changes. Local residents helped with the design for the development of the park by providing information and ideas for increasing the range of play and recreation activities.
Toddler Play will be fully enclosed with a low safety fence and self-closing gates. It will contain play equipment focused around a train theme and spring toys. A pergola will be constructed next to the existing wall to provide shade, and a section of the wall will be knocked out to create a porthole to improve visibility and casual observation from passers-by.
This area is surrounded by a low safety fence and shade trees. It will contain the Junior and Toddler swings as well as theme play equipment and climbing frames. An area for ball games with a special "water feature" will be placed near the existing entry area. Supervision and good visibility can be maintained at all times as the Junior and Toddler areas are close to each other. The safety fence, which is open at both ends, provides a barrier between the play spaces and the adjacent soccer field.
This is a fun folly in the corner of the park that everyone can use. It is enclosed along the southern and eastern sides by a low hedge to ensure that children don’t run out onto the road. The perimeter footpath and fencing is also modified in this area.
A sealed footpath will circle the entire perimeter of the park for walking, running, biking, skateboarding, scooting, and roller-skating. Seating and small "stand-alone" play structures will be installed along the pathway.
Groups of trees will be located around the park to help create the spaces for the various activities. A fruit tree section will be developed adjacent to the Bowling club and will contain olives, grapes, a hazel nut hedge and a grove of edible chestnuts.
An earth mound will be created to provide a platform for equipment such as a flying fox, double slide, hut and bridges. For toddlers there will be play animals and pole logs. The bark mulch safety surface also acts as a "moat" around the play area.
The entry area will be improved to be more inviting. A large tussock /gravel area will be created to provide a safety surface and an enlarged drainage soakaway facility in times of flooding. When flooded the area can be traversed across bridges and other play forts which form an adventure commando course.
Facilities for adults will be sited in various locations around the park with chain mesh wall, fireman’s pole and chin-up facilities at the north west corner of the park.
Located near the skateboard area, this area includes a bike/skateboard slalom courses, a limechip surface for petanque and hacky-sac, fitness equipment and a climbing structure.
The south west corner of the park has always contained lots of trees and shrubs. It is proposed to enhance this planting by adding low understorey shrubs such as azaleas, which will provide some spring colour. A line of closely spaced kowhai trees down the side of the path will support the local initiative to establish St Albans as the "Golden Suburb".
Picnic facilities will be provided next to the junior play area and basketball courts. This is conveniently located close to the toilet block. |