Burbank Crescent Play Area Renewal
The Burbank Crescent play area is due for a refresh and we want your feedback on the draft design!
This engagement will give Council’s Play Spaces Specialist an idea of the needs of the Churton Park community. After submissions close, the Play team will consider your submissions and use them to finalise the design for the renewed Burbank Crescent playspace.
Key features of the proposed design include:
- Mainly natural materials for the equipment, to keep within the reserve setting of this play area.
- A main module that has various climbing opportunities such as nets and monkey bars, alongside slides that are incorporated into the structure.
- A swing set, with basket swing for multiple users and an infant and belt seat swing as well.
- A small carousel and bee rocker.
- A picnic table and rubbish bin, while refurbishing the existing bench seats.
- New safety surfacing with rubber tiles under the more accessible equipment and compliant bark under the main module. A new path with connect the renewal site to the existing path.
To give your feedback on the Burbank Crescent play area draft design, please let us know your thoughts in the survey below.
Or, you can send an email to playgrounds@wcc.govt.nz.
Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 12 April.
More information:
In the 2008 Northern Reserves Management Plan and 2017 Play Spaces Policy, Burbank Crescent play area was meant to be decommissioned when John Walker Play Area was built. However, this was never actioned.
Upon further investigation, approximately 142 homes would not be within walking distance of a playground if the Burbank Crescent playground was to be removed. Based on this information, it was decided that the play space should be kept and given a refresh.
Burbank Crescent play area is categorised as a neighbourhood play space, which are handy for a quick play. It provides a playground for junior-age tamariki within a 600-metre walking distance, as well as other potential play opportunities.
We're renewing play spaces around the city to make them an even better place to play. You can read more about Wellington City Council’s strategic vision and planning for play areas in Wellington in the Play Spaces Policy (2017).
Privacy:
Your privacy is important to Wellington City Council. We follow a privacy statement that covers the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. It has been prepared in accordance with our obligations and your rights, as set out in the Privacy Act 2020.
-
Burbank Crescent Play Area design update
Kia ora koutou,
Thank you for your patience as we worked towards a final design for the Burbank Crescent play area, based on the main themes that came through in our public consultation.
Most submitters liked the proposed design, though there was one submitter who opposed spending any money on the renewal. The primary driver for the renewal is that the assets have reached the end of life, they are fully depreciated, the current play area is over 24 years old and has non-compliance issues to the current NZ Standards for playground equipment and surfacing.
We have then tried to accommodate additional requests where we can, these include:
- Providing for shade- The 2 existing seats that are already under cover of the canopy are staying as they are, and following the build, the Parks Tree Team will be planting 2 shade trees (deciduous, Ginko biloba and Fraxinus ornus) next to the relocated bench seats.
- Replacing the bee springer with the seesaw style rocker, and this unit can accommodate up to 4 users.
- We have adjusted entry to the module, with the addition of stairs to facilitate easy access for younger users.
- An inclusive swing seat has been added that can accommodate any user irrespective of age or ability, and this is within the area that has synthetic surfacing, to have some provision for accessible features.
- There was a request to improve general maintenance of the site, which was largely to do the with the paths and trees that overhang them. I have met with our Parks Tree Team, and we looked at maintenance over the access ways, removal of dead and leaning trees, which they have created a job sheet for. This is job is deemed low priority, with a lead-in time of 12 months. However, they will quite often carry out work well inside this time frame, as they can tie work together when in an area.
There were some requests that we were not able to accommodate, largely to do with budget constraints, the layout of the site, and what we would expect for this category of play area (neighbourhood).
Examples include:
- We retained the fixed bridge rather than replace it with a swing bridge, as that is better access for all users, including younger children.
- Adding a fountain, this is not expected in a neighbourhood play area, which is deemed your local play space designed for a quick play. In addition there are no water connections within the park, and the cost of trenching to site would be large, ultimately that then would be a trade-off with some of the equipment.
- Adding a toilet, this is not expected in a neighbourhood play area, which is deemed your local play space designed for a quick play. Funding of toilets is not covered within the play spaces budget, and the cost is substantially more than the entire build of the new play area.
- Adding a flying fox, as that would have involved a trade off with replacing the main module.
We have yet to lock in the construction dates, but the expectation is that the site will be completed prior to the end of the financial year, which is 30 June 2024.
For detailed information about the final Burbank Crescent play area design, please see the Burbank Crescent PA Final Design PDF in the documents widget.
