Crawley Borough Council has refurbished the Hanbury Road and Woodcroft Road Play Areas in Ifield West ahead of the summer holidays, marking the completion of this latest phase of the council’s wider playground investment programme.
The refurbishments have been fully funded by developers through Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy payments. Each scheme has been designed by contractor Proludic Limited to create a strong first impression and reflect the local character, with bespoke features tailored to the area.
Hanbury Road Play Area has been transformed into a vibrant, wildlife-themed destination inspired by the nearby Millpond, creating a distinctive identity that reflects the character of the local area.
The nature-inspired design features a bespoke swan springer, pond explorer play panel, butterfly sensory panel, wheelchair accessible roundabout, owl-themed multiplay unit and toadstool stepping features, all set within a striking two-tone wet pour safety surface. Blue surfacing represents the water of the Millpond, while green surfacing reflects the surrounding grass banks.
The Woodcroft Road redesigned play area takes inspiration from its location alongside the railway line and Crawley’s longstanding role as a major transport hub, featuring a unique planes, trains and automobiles theme throughout. Bespoke play features celebrate the town’s transport connections, including a Crawley station ticket office play panel and an aeroplane-themed play panel inspired by nearby Gatwick Airport.
The new play equipment includes a combination swing featuring cradle swing and flat swing, themed jeep play unit, looping springer and accessible play panels installed at wheelchair-friendly height.
Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Councillor Chris Mullins, Cabinet member for Leisure and Wellbeing, and local ward councillors Councillor Grainne Conway (Ifield) and Councillor Julian Charatan (Ifield) visited the Hanbury Road and Woodcroft Road play areas on Friday to mark the reopening.
We are delighted to have completed this latest phase of our playground improvement programme just in time for the summer holidays, providing local children and families with free, accessible opportunities for outdoor play close to home. This investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality play facilities and encouraging active, healthy lifestyles within local communities.
With the six play areas refurbished in this latest phase, this brings the total number of upgraded sites across the borough to 44 since 2015. These improvements have been funded through Section 106 contributions, ensuring investment from new developments continues to benefit local communities.
Councillor Chris Mullins
Cabinet member for Leisure and Wellbeing
Crawley Borough Council
We are proud to have completed all six playground improvement projects delivered as part of Crawley Borough Council’s wider unsupervised play investment programme. It has been a pleasure working in partnership with the council to transform community play spaces across the borough, creating more inclusive, engaging and accessible places for children and families.
The final two schemes at Hanbury Road and Woodcroft Road demonstrate how even smaller neighbourhood play areas can have a significant impact on local communities. From the Millpond-inspired wildlife theme at Hanbury Road to the transport-themed design celebrating Crawley’s rail and aviation links at Woodcroft Road, both projects have created distinctive spaces that reflect their local surroundings while maximising play value and accessibility.
We hope all six refurbished play areas will be enjoyed by local communities for many years to come and leave a lasting legacy for future generations of Crawley residents.
Tim Bird
Senior Area Manager (South East)
Proludic Limited